Mike’s Blog

This was my second visit to Australia ,to meet Son No 1 ,he has now lived there for seven years and in all very happy with the life there.and is now an Australian citizen.

This year I flew by Virgin Atlantic the only problem if it is a problem Virgin does not fly direct to Melbourne you need to fly into the Sydney hub then fly on via Virgin Blue.  I made this decision to fly Virgin after all my problems with BA last year and I will never fly with that company again . To give just one example on the flight home the aircraft damaged the gantry and we where held for 2 hours after a 21 hour flight before the problem could be fixed,  the only announcment that was made was that the flight had landed , my taxi left the airport after some time thinking I was not on this flight and I had to pay again to get him to return (I was not the only one in this situation others had lost ongoing flights.When we got to the luggage hall all our suitcases had been put in one large pile in the corner,  can you imagine a 747 flight luggage in one heap and no one was there to sort it ) the onboard service was not up to standard nor was the meals . I should add I fly Economy pluss.

I found the service on Virgin  far superior,  the cabin crew where more friendly, service was good and the  food better even fresh fruit was offered during the flight. These are the things that make a long flight more acceptable .

I arrived early in the morning at Sydney`s International airport and it is a short bus ride to domestic ,the onwards flight takes only one hour Virgin Blue has certainly taken Australia by storm and they must be the largest internal flight operation. My family where there waiting for me it has been a year since I last saw them so as you can guess big hugs all around .

One thing you notice flying into Melbourne is the parched ground ,Melbourne has been in drought conditions for a very long time and it is proposed to go to level 4 soon . We in the UK think we have a water shortage but it is nothing compared to what the state of Victoria is suffering . All you can see is brown earth and the trees have a very dull look from the air.But driving from the airport,  Melbourne appears on the skyline the very same way that Singapore does. Suddenly you see a vibrant tall city .

Steve lives in a district called Mentone it is to the east of the city anmd it takes around 25 minutes by train to the center ,he commutes into the city every day for work .Mentone is a typical city suburb but nothing like we know in the UK ,they have rows of small shops everywhere. They do have some large shopping centers and I wonder how long it will be before they follow the UK and Europe and the small shopping centers start to empty  and when this happens it will be a shame and the local towns will loose their identity and charm. 

I am quite lucky as I do not suffer from jet lag but I always take it steady for a few days and also very careful sitting in the Sun for any length of time .I took five books with me and I can relax in the garden and read .Where Steve lives they have a good size pool so cooling of is not a problem Also in the house are Fiona,Andrew and their daughter Bella and two dogs one a Colly male and a husky female. I have always taken my running gear with me and this year I took the husky with me on a run I think she thought she was leading a sleigh teem and I enjoyed the experience but experienced many strange looks .Cooly is an older dog so all he got was a steady walk later in the morning . I also went to Bella`s school for assembly,  it was very different from English schools The Australian`s like the Americans are very proud and fly their flag  and schools sing their anthem we just do not do this in the UK.  Why don`t we  ?

Last year we spent a weekend sightseeing in Sydney .This year Steve had booked a 6 day holiday on the Gold Coast this is just south of Brisbane .We had an apartment that was great,  two floors and a balcony overlooking the whole district and only a short walk from the beach, opposite was a large shopping center not that we wanted to shop .The temperature was around 30o but the humidity was around 90% (very sticky and wet ) by this time I had started my tan so I could spend more time out in the Sun .I spend several hours each day on the beach, but it is a surfers beach and very dangerous for swimming and is only allowed in marked areas  the reason is the continual rip tides running  (this beach has lifeguard`s on duty every day and we saw in the short time we stayed there swimmers being brought in after getting taken by the tide )The Gold Coast has a continual row of high rise buildings down the whole strip of several miles and where there is vacant plots more building work is going on in fact it seems there is a new building going up on every spare plot of land . It will soon look like Benidorm in Spain and the planners will need to take care not to spoil what they have there.One problem they have in the afternoon the high rise buildings cause the beach to be in the shade.

 Fiona flew up on the Thursday and during the next few days friends arrived first where Shane and Rebbecca who stayed overnight ,Shane is a surfer, then Fiona`s friends stayed the day with their children . So it was a good holiday within a holiday meeting new people.

Steve also took me into Melbourne once again to see some of the sights and the essential tram ride round the city (free of charge) that afternoon we met another of his friend (Nick) and visited quite a few of Melbourne`s historic places .This also lead into a drinking evening and during the course of the rest of the day and met more of Steve and Fiona`s friend`s and drank quite a few beers (Scot,Rosie ,Rosie`s husband Bill ,Tony,Krista,Grant and,Leroy where among the many people I was introduced to that evening)

Andrew,Steve,Grant and Stacy and their friend took me to a Aussie rules football match on the first Saturday this is something I wanted to go to last year but didn`t get round to it . It was a cup match between Essendon and Carlton and I picked up the rules quite quickly.Unfortunately Essendon the local team Andrew ect supported lost and even I with not much knowledge of the game could see they didn`t play well . But looking around it was a family affair many families with very young children I could not see that happening in the UK.

Part of my keep at Mentone is I buy the food and cook .I think if we could buy the meat and groceries at their prices we would be laughing everything is so low cost and of good quality .The meat is especially good and a large joint of beef say around two kilos cost the equivalent in UK pricing to six pounds and this would serve nine people or more. Also the fruit I was buying peaches ,apricots ect nearly every day and the taste was better than what we can purchase in the UK  I  put this down to the Sun and being fresh from the growing areas. When I cooked for the friends that arrived I tried to do something English (Toad in the hole or Sausages in batter ) among other things again new people arrived this time Adam and Bridget with their Son and Grant and Stacy also came round for meals 

On my last weekend I flew up to Sydney to visit Glenn Clarke ,Glenn is the owner of a electronic component company that I dealt with as an account manager with the last company I worked for .Glenn I am pleased to say wanted to keep in touch and this was very pleasing as I had a great affection for his company that I had been working with for over thirty years and had seen it grow conciderably especial since Glenn had sole control of the company

He drove me over Sydney harbour bridge to a park called Ku ring gal chase park and a point called West Head from  the cliff face  you have great views of the river estuery and Lion Island . We then drove back to his office before going back to his home to meet his children Cameron and Ashleigh. Noreen his wife was back in the UK visiting family.  On Saturday morning he drove me and his children to the Blue Mountains and places called The Three Sisters. Katoomber,Leura.Mt Victoria,Bilken and Windsor before returning to Sydney. Both of his children kept me talking all day and Ashleigh continualy told jokes.

  I caught the plane back to Melbourne on Sunday and on the way to the airport Glenn  drove me to see Bondi beach, this was a disappointment and not half so glamorous an you see on TV  and films .It is quite small and the city is right on the beach in film it looks like the Gold Coast and it was also packed with people mainly backpackers. But it is somwhere I was pleased to have been.  

I regret to say like all holidays it ended to soon and there where sad farewells at the airport. The flight home was good and the stopover on both trips was at Hong Kong , if you havn`t been there it is big we had two hours there and it took me 35 minutes just to walk the lenght of the building we where in .

Back home now to cold weather and back to work but also planning for next year .   

Mum and Dad where country folk like Dolly and Basil ,But they where farmers or worked on a farm for the majority of their life .Dad was born into a family of seven Brotheres and Sisters at Swanmore a small village near Winchester.His Dad My Grandfather was a carpenter and also connected to the local church .They where a poor family but did not go hungry as my Grandmother was very inventive on how many ways to use the vegetables from the garden.  Mum was born in Long Parrish North Hampshire and like Basil my grandfather on this side of the family was also a  gamekeeper she had one Brother and one Sister.Where my Fathers family stayed in one village Mums family moved around Hampshire and Sussex wherever there was a job available .

Mum met Dad at the time Keeper Newman(as he was always known)had a job at Swanmore Park .Shortly after they met the family moved again to Slindon in Sussex where Keeper Newman stayed until he retired .But by this time my Grandmother had died quite young of cancer.  Ruth my Mum had the job of looking after her Father and Brother, Norah the elder Sister had gone to live with an Aunt to ease the burden .

To keep the romance going my Dad used to travel to Slindon on one of the first BSA motorbikes this took two and a half hours nowadays by car it would take half an hour but in the dark you had to keep stopping to relight the headlight (I will explain later ) Dad now worked on his first farm job.

His first employment was to Clarke`s farm in the village .This meant a very early start and a long day. Twice a week he would drive their lorry to the market in Portsmouth .The lorry`s in those days had a a cab that was open to the weather no windscreen as such and traveled full speed twenty miles per hour .The journey took them over Portsdown Hill  and if there was a strong wind any  passenger had to get out to walk up the hill to help the engine, also the gas lights where ofter blown out and had to be relit many times .In those days there was only one main road into Portsmouth and the trams took priority on this road. and many times the lorry`s wheels would get stuck in the tram lines which could have disastrous results if action was not taken quickly.But he and the lorry survived several years before he moved on to Watson`s farm. It was on one of there trips he saw one of the first German airship fly over.

Mum and Dad got married on a bitter November day . Her Dad and family did not attend as he did not want my Mum to leave home as by this time she was his and her brothers housekeeper and to replace her he had to pay someone to live in . They then moved into a tied (tied means it goes with the job ,leave the job you are homeless) bungalow on the farm. Dad by this time was joined by his elder Brother who now lived next door with his wife and two children . Jim, Dads brother was the horseman and looked after two working animals and they also had steam engines and a steam tractor . Dad had a Ferguson lorry and was much more modern than the first lorry he drove and part of his job was to drive the farms produce to the shops in Winchester and in those days their where many characters with many stories to tell (one was the Andrews family they ran a faggot, pie and chip shop where poorer people could get a good meal for a shilling now ten pence .Faggots where made from boiling pigs head down and the meat was minced and formed and then baked .

I was born in the second World War .Dad as a farm worker was exempt of being a soldier as farm workers where considered essential to keep the country fed. But he had to join the home guard as many people did in the village ,Mum had to go out nights to look for incendiary bombs that where drooped by German aircraft .Dad after working on the farm all day spent nights with his mates on duty.  Although we lived in the country, near to where we lived the authorities marked out a false town to draw the German bombs away from Portsmouth and Southampton .One night a bomb dropped close to our home and when exploding brought the ceilings down Mum and Dad found me in my cot covered in plaster but not hurt. There where quite a few incidences like this and we had quite a few aircraft crash localy where damaged planes could not get back to base. But we survived and as soon as I was old enough to help I was expected to feed the farm animals (cows pigs and chickens among others) and as soon as I was able to reach drive a tractor (can you imagine in todays correct world a small child driving farm implements). 

Holidays where non existent but just after the war ended they where able to buy a Ford eight car as at this time cars could be had quite cheap a petrol was hard to get . They used to drive out on Sundays after all the animals where fed and somtimes made it to Slindon to see Granddad .We used to stop half way there to cool the engine down .But there where other times when they would go and visit Mums Sister who was married and now lived in London, a coach company called Southdown ran a service that stopped in the village on the way to London (but this will be another story later in my blog) Life moved on I grew up and started work in a provisions shop called International Stores. Mum and Dad now took up camping and the car was changed to a Ford Prefect (very modern )

Just after I started work my Mum fell pregnant at the age of forty ,it was a very big shock for them but in those days termination was not heard of .Ian was born in July and changed their life as they seemed to grow younger and they started a new family as just after this I left for National Service (another story) Just after this they decided they could no longer live on the farm and looked for a house to buy. they found a bungalow in its own ground in Forest Road about a mile from their old house it was up for sale for the grand total of two thousand pounds !!! they borrowed and with the money they had purchased it and with the help of Dads brother in law built a new kitchen ect they lived happily their for the rest of their lives this was many years .It wasn`t long after this they decided to have their first of many holidays in Europe .Dad by now was working for the local council with much better pay and a pension at the end .They traveled through the UK  and Europe on coach tours with Dads Sister Ida and her husband Earnest and the four of them had great times.

Mum was still working on the farm that had expanded in to Greenhouses and then onto a vineyard .She worked and drove a motorbike well into her late seventies Dad also had a part time job working on a mushroom farm and he worked until he became disabled .In the later years of her life Mum worked and run a local branch of The Cheshire homes . she raised many thousands of pounds for the home at Lee Court in Liss .Her main aim every year was to attend their fete at the home and raise more money than the year before and she normaly with the help of friends succeeded.

Dad became wheelchair bound after loosing feeling due to nerve damage in his legs and for the next few years Mum was his main carer. In her early eighties she was diagnosed with stomach cancer and given six months to live .This was a big upset not only for the family but for her and she decided she wasn`t going to die and lived another six years ,she always looked forward never backward and planned for the future of her garden .Housework was left but her garden was her life .She still looked after Dad until she died in a local hospice,  she woke up one morning had a cup of tea and just fell to sleep .

Dad tried to live on in their home but it soon become clear he wasn`t coping without her and even after employing help and with council carers didn`t want to continue .I found a home that would look after him but from the very first day he hated it and everyone who worked there .They tried to involve him in daily events but he insisted that he stayed in his room and talked to no-one  .Visiting for us was “what mood will he be in today” He decided he wanted to move to a place nearer to where he lived where he could be happy . After many weeks I found a place where he stayed before when Mum was not well and a room became vacant at the right time .He moved in within two weeks but again as soon as he was there didn`t like it yet again .He took to his bed and would not get up ,he stopped eating and also stopped drinking knowing what the outcome would be .He only lasted four days and died a very painful death .But this was his choice he decided in his nineties he had had enough .

Both Mum and Dad funeral was attended by a chuchfull of people. They where known by a wide circle of friends ,workmates and family  In all they had a very full life and in the majority a happy one .

 

Steve is Son no 1 and here is how Steve became to be .

After several years trying to have a child we where advised that due to problems with me we could never conceive. So we started thinking about adopting a child .As anyone knows this is a very long process of being considered suitable and continual veting and visits from the powers that govern adoption.  But in a very short time of being accepted we where advised that there was a boy child six months old that had not been placed with any family and we where asked if we would like to see him.Before the visit we had been told that family`s had seen the baby but not taken the situation any futher.

On the day in Question we where taken to the council offices and shown into a room ,in the middle there was a large Victorian table and on it was the most beautiful baby boy you could have wished for .He had blue eyes and blond hair wearing a yellow suit and holding a small rubber duck.We where told that he had a large birth mark on his shoulder and we where asked if we would like to see it . There was no question that any problem large or small was going to change our mind, from first sight we where in love with this child and as far as we where concerned had made our choice.

Several days later we collected him and he was still wearing the same suit and carrying the duck , this was all the possessions he had. That same day all our friends met the new baby that we now called Steven and it was agreed that he was a stunner .

Within the fist few weeks of Steve being ours My wife fell pregnant with Son no 2 ( I will tell you later on this ) our big problem then was to conceal this fact as we had not been to the family court to get and be approved for the final adoption . So normaly this would have been a big celebration that now had to be put on ice.

Steve grew up keeping all his good looks and began school at Wymering in Portsmouth .I wasn`t until he graduated to senior school that the rebellion set in. Steve tried everything from a puck rocker to a bover boy he was extremely clever but wanted to be one of the boys . Steve left school with basic qualifications when he could have gone on to university but he was happy .I found him a job in the same company that I worked for but he made sure he didn`t fit in but managed to scrape along .He went through a succession of old cars all wrecks and at this time we did not see eye to eye with each other in fact we hardly spoke .At one time he even landed up in Holland and again at a different time  with his brother they got stuck in Spain on that occasion I had to meet people at Heathrow to pay their fare and get them home.There where many other occasions similar to this but I can say neither of our Sons got into serious problems or with the police

It was just after this time that my wife and I decided to part both our Sons took it well as by this time where both teenagers .I moved out to live with an old Friend Florry Pucket until I found a permement home.

Steve then found a job that he enjoyed and excelled at working for BT as a trainee engineer and after that did not look back working up the ladder of success . During these years He had a live in girl friend Lisa but in the end ended up more like Brother and Sister after that He met an Australian girl in London and he lived with Michelle for several years after two visits to Mich`s home in Melbourne they decided to emigrate this was six years ago. But as soon as this happened they decided to split at this time it caused him big problems strange county no job and no support .To see Steve so unhappy caused great pain back here because there was not a lot we could do to help sort the situation .

But here today six years later things look good new relationships are developing new horizons are being presented. I have spent some time last year in Melbourne and will also be seeing Steve in a few weeks time.

I will close this part of the story to say he is still loved as much as that first day we saw him on that old table. Also before I end I must mention Flory and Ted Puckett They lived two doors away from our first house as they didnt have grandchildren of their own they adopted both boys as their own and although our Sons had natual grandparents took on the roll and I can say without question both contributed to their upbringing .Ted`s great love was Portsmouth football team and used to talk to them for hours on this subject.

Son No 2 Simon

Simon was born on Easter Monday Just after we had the final papers of Steve`s adoption . Simon did not come into world easily he was born by ceserean  birth and his Mother was taken very ill by blood poisoning and did not see her Son for two days. Simon had good looks and a full head of black hair .Both boys where christiened together Steve by this time was walking they both where bought white fur coats to wear for the day and looked adorable . 

Simon followed Steve to the same junior school and also onto the same senior school . It was while Simon was at this school he nearly met his death he was riding a bike with his mate on the back but could not stop at a major road junction Smon hit a mini car and wrote it off with his body, Florry who I told you about earlier saw this happen and went to hospital with him ,it was there she called me to come asap. But he escaped with minor injuries .We found out later the poor guy who`s car he hit was a vicar following a funeral procession !!!Simon also went through the same stages as Steve but not the puck rocker stage .He also bought several old cars and also left school with basic qualifications .But this proves nothing as he is now very successful and runs an important section of a factory.

Simon also worked in the same factory where I worked ,but he soon branched out moving to other manufacturing companies, years later he returned as a section leader(see above) and today is still with the orrigial company that I worked for .He married Angela a very pretty girl of Italian origins ,and on their wedding day to save embarrassment I drove them to and from the church and reception at this time I did not want to meet my ex or inlaws.They now have two children Danial and Carla and it looks if Daniel is going to follow in my footsteps as at 14 is already six foot tall .

Just a funny story when Daniel was born I was in Bali after working in Singapore .I received the news on the beach watching a glorious sunset .I took a stick and wrote his name over and over again from the water line to the top of th beach and then sat and watch the sea gradually wash each name away .It was a very emotional day.being so far away .

Both Steve and Simon although nor blood brothers have got on very well with each other and as far as Steve was concerned he is always thought as our Son

I will continue to add to these story`s as time permits 

Dolly and Basil where my exwife`s grandparents and this is a little of their story.

I first met Dolly and Basil when they where both in the later years of their life .They lived in a tied cottage on the George Coopers estate in Hurstley Hampshire .Their cottage was nearly into the woodland and their nearest neighbour was approx 1 mile away .In the early days the cottage had no running water, their light was by oil lamp and the toilet was down the garden (and it was a large garden for them to look after and being country folk grew all their own vegetables )Basil had been employed on the estate as a gamekeeper among other duties, although they lived far out of the village they where both part of village life .If they wanted to go shopping they had to walk approx two and a half miles to the nearest bus stop to Winchester .They also  had a close circle of friend`s that visited them and also took them out for day trips one of them was Norma Cawte along with Norma and ourselves and other friends and relations they managed an good life for many years.

To continue here is their love story.

Basil was in the Navy in the first World War his first wife was pregnant with their first child . During the birth there where complications and his wife died .Dolly at that time was a nurse in the same hospital (these where the days the ward kept a cat on duty )and took pity on the lonly child and in her spare time which wasn`t a lot in those days and used to take the baby out for walks .On the occasions that Basil could get home he also went out on these trips and over a period of time they fell in love and married .

This began a relationship until Dolly died (I will come to this later )  At this time they where both in their twenties. Basil continued in the Navy and fought in the Russian convoys and also saw the first bi-plane to take of from a ship while on the high seas. When demobed he went to work on the George Cooper estate at Hurstley Nr Romsey (now the headquarters of part of the IBM organisation) and they went to live in the cottage I described earlier

The child Rose (my ex wife`s Mother) never forgave her Father for marrying Dolly and right to Dolly`s death did not have many conversations or associations. But my Wife had great love for the couple and as I got to know them both become great friends and loved them dearly (although Basil could be very difficult at times and go of not talking) Dolly in all the years I knew them never had a bad word for anyone in her view there was no such thing as bad and would not listen to gossip. She also told everyone Basil was her only love in life.

When they reached the age of  over ninety years the estate decided to move them into the village and at this great age had to leave their wilderness home for a house on the main road in the village and have people living next door .Although they where reluctant at first the move it turned out a success .The house was modern electric light with gas cooking and a telephone.

Part of my duty towards them was that I  phoned them every day we did not visit  just to make sure everything was ok as Dolly had began to forget things. One day when I called she just said Basil was laying on the floor to her this was not a problem in her mind, but in fact he had fallen over and hit his head and could not move .By the time I had driven over there Norma had called the doctor and decided Basil was required to go to hospital .But here was a BIG  problem they would not separate .I had no choice but to follow them both to the hospital and after long negotiations the administrator found a place where they could have two beds pushed together with curtains around (this had never been actioned in the hospital before).The social service people decided after a few days that they could not go home again and live alone  and when I broke this news it was heartbreaking for both of them to loose the home they had together. They where then moved temporarily into a geriatric ward of a different hospital this did not go down well with both of them as they where both very much with it and every visit to them Basil complained bitterly  .After lots of searching I found a home that would take them both and they moved within days .I visited them the next day and Basil wanted out He was so unhappy the doors where locked due to the violent people staying there. All his life up to then he was used to going anywhere he wanted also he would not eat their food .I then had some help from Age Concern and then I then found a place called The Old Parsonage” in Otterbourne near to where they lived .We where shown a large room with bathroom and a beautiful view of the garden where wild animals could be seen, Basil had to accepted this was the best option and they moved again, here could go anywhere and they would cook what he wanted ,even marmite toast in the night .Most of the other residence where monied people but this did not make any difference to there welcome and they lived happily together. They lived the life of pure luxury for nearly two years and in fairly good heath .

One morning Dolly just didn`t wake up and went into a coma ,she was in her 99th year .Although the place was not a nursing home they looked after her and we sat with her at nights .She lasted just under a week before she died with Basil by her side .

He would not go to her funeral and said he would not say good by. On the day of her funeral he announced he would follow her and although he was not ill died within a few days aged 98, it was said of a broken heart.He was buried in the same plot on a hill overlooking their old village where they had lived most of their lives together .

Their love for each other lasted over 60 year`s and Dolly was someone everyone could love without condition 

I am a male as my name states divorced and above retirement age but still working.

Most of my adult life I have worked in the electronics manufacturing industry and over the years been in many positions as a manager .In these positions I have traveled throughout Europe and many places in the Far East ,the main place there was Singapore and I still regard Singapore as a second home as I have so many friends there that I have met over the years and still keep in touch with.

The company I worked for decided last year that they did not want to continue to employ older staff and after working there for over 40 years left in March 06.

Also over the past 12 years I have also worked weekends in restaurants .This all started when my Daughter in laws Mother(of Italian origin ) needed kitchen help, since then I have continued to work weekends in various places all Italian .I have been working at the current restaurant Villa Romana in Fareham Hampshire for nearly 6 years and when I lost my main employment they offered me 3/4 working days per week this suited me ok as I have many other interest in life and also this pays for extras that I will explain later in my blog

I have two grownup Sons The eldest Steven lives in Melbourne he emigrated six years ago .I have visited him last year and will also visit this year .I find Melbourne very European and could easily live there . My second Son Lives close in Portsmouth and he has two children Danial is the eldest and Carla. His wife Ange as I have stated earlier has Italian origins and has classic Italian good looks . I visit them most weeks but do not interfere with there lives in any way.

My interest are very wide I like all art and visits London regularly to see exhibitions .I also like architecture (over the past years I have shown visitors to the UK my version of London all walking starting in Piccadilly Circus and ending at the Tower of London during this walk I can show all the main sites and by walking you can see more details and over the years I have gained knowledge of odd bits of history ) my other interest are running (not long distance nowadays )keeping fit ,IT and gardening and going to the beach in the Summer I usually swim from April/May to October/November depending on the weather.

I want to add little stories about the people in my life I hope someone will find them interesting.I have over the years met people that everyday are very ordinary but has contributed so much to life.