Author Topic: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)  (Read 814070 times)

2dognight

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #135 on: January 07, 2018, 07:21:35 PM »
 

 Can hardly wait for the next episode :o ;D

  Carol

birdy

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #136 on: January 08, 2018, 05:55:41 AM »
Cliffhanger!

Hobbit

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #137 on: January 08, 2018, 06:44:03 AM »
Oh blimey Les that's a bit cruel!!  Leaving us hanging like that :laugh:
Do hope you continue before I sign in tomorrow evening!
It's looking like England will lose the last test by an innings :(  Not even a miracle can save them now.
A real shame it wasn't more closely contested but I have to say Australia have been quite magnificent & England just so bloody poor.
No 1 daughter has downloaded Backyard Ashes for me.  She's going to hook up the laptop to the telly so I can watch it. Hope to do so by next weekend.
All the best Pen
If life gives you lemons, add a large gin & some tonic...

Ozzyjack

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #138 on: January 08, 2018, 08:03:12 AM »

I was on top of world, until, just a couple of months later, Betty told me the news.....

Les, I suspect you are the love child of the late Alfred Hitchcock.  You are killing us with suspense.
Regards, Jack

Les303

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #139 on: January 08, 2018, 08:21:35 PM »
The transition from carefree primary school to high school had not been easy.
This joint was 3 times bigger with hundreds of more students that I did not know & we had to do extra subjects & would you believe that the teachers had the audacity to give us homework every night & twice as much on a Friday because we had all weekend to do it.
Being the juniors, we were initially picked on & bullied a bit by the older boys from grade 9. ( how on earth had they not heard about my legendary deeds from grade 6 ? )
Thank goodness for big brothers because once the word got around that Greg , Ross & I all had big brothers in grade 10, the teasing & bullying suddenly stopped.
The other problem was that footy went from running around barefoot in weight divisions, to playing in age teams with footy boots that in those days all had steel spikes & fair dinkum, some of these kids we were playing with & against were bigger than our adult coach.
None the less, I still managed to make the team as did Ross ( as a reserve ) & Greg as a front row forward.
Greg was always quite tall for his age but rather skinny however he was one of those kids that had an early growth spurt, over the holidays so he was not only taller now but had also filled out, (he even had a weak moustache & bum fluff on his chin, for goodness sake) luckily. for me,  we were still best mates & he never sought to gain any revenge for all those times through primary school that I had been able to easily beat him in our friendly wrestling & boxing matches.
The highlight of making the footy team was the fortnightly bus trips to play against the Toowoomba schools.
Students who were not playing were also encouraged to join the bus trip to offer support & of course we had a dedicated cheer squad always led by Tracy.
Although Betty had always expressed an interest in joining the cheer squad, her father would never allow it so imagine my surprise to see her turn up on this particular day with the cheer squad girls.
Tracy was in year 10 & Robert's (the captain of the senior team ) girlfriend so they basically ruled the bus.
We were always allowed to leave class a little early as the bus would leave at 3.00pm for the I hour trip to Toowoomba.
Usually, just one of the coaches would be available for the trip so he & the bus driver were our only supervision.
The coach / teacher would sit at the front of the bus next to the driver & Tracy & Robert would allocate the seating.
All the seniors to the back of the bus & that included the entire cheer squad & because that left Betty sitting by herself, I was afforded the privilege of sitting next to Betty at the back of the bus with all the seniors.
After a lot of pashing, I eventually ask, how in the hell did you get your father to allow you to come on this bus trip.
Well, he actually doesn't know about, he has gone to Sydney on business for two weeks & Mum said that it was ok.
Every now & then the coach / teacher would walk down to the end of the bus to tell Tracy & Robert to quiet things down.
He would pretend to not notice the stench of cigarette smoke or the alcohol that all the seniors had smuggled on board & as soon as he regained his seat, the loud music & raucous behaviour would continue.

I can only imagine all the dramatic scenarios that readers might have been expecting from Betty's news.

Sorry to disappoint but it was simply that her father had secured a high paying job & all the family were relocating to Sydney.
We will keep in touch , I will write you every day, there were a couple of letters exchanged, then nothing.

I am feeling absolutely shattered but all of sudden Sue comes into my life....











Les303

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #140 on: January 09, 2018, 12:20:02 AM »
Barry ( my older brother ) has finally scored a date at the movies with Jane .( from the posh Catholic school )
The only problem is that she is bringing her little sister ( Susan ) with her.
Suitably reimbursed, I agree to go along & Suz & I hit it off straight away.
We stay together all through school & are the envy of our peers as we are allowed to attend the senior parties.

It is around this time that my mother has re - married.
All of a sudden I have a stepfather , the less said about that bastard the better although I must admit that he was a good provider & Mum & also us kids, for that matter, never lacked for anything again.

I arrive home from school one afternoon & stepfather ( Graham ) is sitting on the front stairs drinking a stubbie.as he suggests that you might not want to go inside for a while.
I can hear a lot of raised voices coming from the kitchen, I have never heard my mother yell like this, it is big sister (Diane ) that is copping it.

There is a bit of a lull as Graham sends me into the kitchen to get him another stubbie & get one for yourself as well.
As I go to the fridge, I see that both Diane & Mum have hands on head & are crying uncontrollably.
Graham talks all sorts of gibberish before he finally divulges that Diane is pregnant.
Oh the shame , the humiliation, the gossip, what would the neighbours think, she must have a terrible mother to allow this to happen.
Once all the shock had subsided & mum had finished all her venting she stuck by & supported her daughter to the hilt , we will have this baby, no matter what the consequences  & I do not care what the bloody neighbours or any one else thinks.

Within a few a weeks, I was told that Diane & John were going to be married.
They are still married to this day & have a lovely family.
Their first born was a beautiful girl who was particularly intelligent.
She was probably only about 6 or 7 years old when she presented her mother with the maths.
Diane had no choice but to confess & explain that she was indeed pregnant months before they were married.
It never affected their very close relationship & in fact they still laugh about it today.











Hobbit

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #141 on: January 09, 2018, 06:25:02 AM »
It's a great story Les - am totally hooked. Can't wait for the next bit.  I do think that Jack's right - you are the love child of the late Alfred Hitchcock & possibly Agatha Christie :laugh:
Pen
If life gives you lemons, add a large gin & some tonic...

Les303

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #142 on: January 09, 2018, 07:57:20 PM »
Finally, year 10 has finished & I am free but there is a slight problem.
While potential employers seemed quite impressed with my rhetoric of what a hard working, dedicated & loyal employee I would be for them, their attitude always seemed to change once they had viewed my report card.
If I can't find a job before the end of the holidays, I will be forced to go back to school, things could not possibly be any worse.
Well actually they could as Mum sits me down to tell me that your stepfather has gained a promotion to foreman shunter but that position is in Brisbane.
He is already in Brisbane, staying in a little flat while he looks for a suitable house to purchase.
Once he is settled, we will also be moving to Brisbane.
Well, i'am not going, I don't want to go, I don't want to leave all my mates & what about Susan!
It's decided, we are moving to Brisbane, we will have our own home, you will even have your own bedroom & you will have a much better chance of finding a job in Brisbane.
Diane & John obviously had their own place & Trevor had moved in with them months ago after a lot of conflict with the stepfather.
Barry had already secured a job as a teller at the Commonwealth Bank so he had no trouble getting a transfer to Brisbane, he was actually looking forward to all the benefits of living in a big city.
Not me, the thought of moving from my small country town where I knew absolutely everybody & more importantly everyone knew me, to the big smoke where I would not know anyone, really did terrify me.
Lame assurances from my mother did little to help, you will make new friends, you will forget about Susan (it's just puppy love ) & you might even find a job.
Compared to our previous very modest housing commission home, the new house was like a mansion.
It was located in Brighton which was a " new suburb " about 30 minutes from the city, it was in fact just a comfortable 3 bedroom house with a huge lounge & an enormous kitchen that had all the modern conveniences, gas stove/oven, automatic washing machine, fans in nearly every room, inside toilet next to the laundry & would you believe it, a bathtub & shower plus a second toilet all in the one bathroom.
It's Barry's first day at work & I tag along just to learn how to catch the bus & train into the city.
We only have to walk to the corner to wait at the designated bus stop.
Right on time we see the bus approaching , passing & continuing on its merry way.
We look at each other with bemusement, why the hell didn't he stop. ???
As we watch the bus pull into the next stop which is only a few blocks away we realize (the Z is for Pat ) that you are
actually expected to extend your arm to wave the bus down.
To this day, I cannot imagine why anybody would be standing at a bus stop for any other reason than to catch a bloody bus.
So that was my first lesson about living in the big city, there were many more to come...





Hobbit

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #143 on: January 10, 2018, 06:29:58 AM »
Oh Les I can only imagine how you must have felt at being uprooted in such a way.  Love the idea of you & your brother watching the bus go sailing past :laugh: It's a fair point though - why in heavens name would anybody stand at a bus stop if they didn't want to catch a bus ???
Please do carry on.
Pen
If life gives you lemons, add a large gin & some tonic...

Les303

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #144 on: January 10, 2018, 08:05:13 PM »
The trains were called red rattlers, because of the shaky & noisy ride,  wooden coaches with basic bench style seating, drawn by a diesel locomotive but they did the job.
We get off at Central station & cannot believe how crowded it is, there are " millions " of people everywhere so we just follow the crowd & miraculously come out at the right exit.
We take the short walk to this enormous building (the commonwealth bank ) which is Barry's new workplace.
I could tell that Barry ( who wasn't afraid of anything ) was very nervous as we waited for the manager to arrive to open the building.
The manager arrives & is suitably impressed to see that Barry is already there, keen to start his new job.
Before he goes in , I get a little lecture, do you remember your way back to the train station (it's called central ), do you still have your ticket, its a return ticket so you just show that to the staff as you go through the barrier then you have to go to platform 6 & catch the Shorncliffe train to Sandgate station where you must get off to catch the connecting bus to Brighton, when the bus gets close to home don't forget to press the bell or the driver won't stop.
Yeah, not a problem, see ya this arv, after work.
Any sensible young boy, armed with all of those directions would have gone straight back to the station to catch the train home but I was curious & wanted to check out all of these amazing shops & in particular a " fun parlour " that I had heard about that was filled with the latest pinball machines.
After all , Mum had been quite happy for me to accompany big brother on his first day at work in the city as it would give me the opportunity to learn how to use the buses & trains, she even gave me $10 to cover the fares (she had no idea how cheap they were ) & I was allowed to have a look around town & spend the change however I wished, as long as I was home by lunchtime.
Walking past Central station (but taking a mental note of its location ) I continue down Queen Street to the heart of the city.
The first thing that strikes me is, why is everyone in such a hurry, they are all scurrying around with tunnel vision & hardly anyone even acknowledges me when I offer a " Gooday mate, how ya going ".
I eventually found a shop assistant that was able to direct me to this " fun parlour " that I was looking for.
This was heaven on earth, pool tables, the latest pinball machines, fancy lights, loud music and a crowd filled with the most gorgeous girls,  wearing fashions that they haven't even heard of in Dalby. (Susan , Susan who?)

Sorry Pen but have to take an enforced interval.






Hobbit

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #145 on: January 11, 2018, 06:29:30 AM »
Not too long an enforced interval I hope Les! Don't leave me hanging too long :laugh:
Pen
If life gives you lemons, add a large gin & some tonic...

Les303

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #146 on: January 14, 2018, 05:10:30 PM »
I am absolutely in my element, playing the very latest pinball games when I am approached by a very friendly young bloke who introduced himself as Charlie.
He recognised me as a new face in the venue & offered to show me around & introduce me to some of his friends.
Charlie just happened to be an aboriginal but that did not worry me in the least as I had plenty of indigenous mates that I grew up with back in Dalby.
Do you smoke, he asked ?
Yes but I don't have any , I tried to buy some at the newsagent on my way to here but they would not sell me any.
No worries, give me the money & i'll go get you a packet as long as you let me have one.
So , I pull out my wallet , Barry had shouted me my bus & train tickets so I still had the $10 that mum had given me , Barry had also given me another $5 to play the pinballs & I also had a few dollars & change of my own saved pocket money.
There was also a $20 note tucked away at the back of the wallet that had been given to me by my stepfather months before.
That was money that I refused to spend due to the circumstances under which it was given but that is a whole different story.
I counted out the required amount of money & handed it to Charlie.
I'll be back in 5 minutes with your smokes.
10 , 15 then 20 minutes went by & just as I was beginning to wonder, Charlie returned with my cigarettes & gave me my correct change.
He had two girls with him , one was his girlfriend ( I don't remember her name ) & the other was a Caucasian girl (ironically ) named Sue.
Even though she had a very short hair cut & wore radical clothes, she was quite pretty & seemed very attentive to me for someone that she had just met.
I just put that down to my natural charm & as we gathered outside for a smoke, I notice what time it is, I have to go straight away to catch the 1130am train from Central or i'll be in trouble at home.
You are actually closer to Roma Street station , come with us & we'll show you a shortcut through the park that will get you there in plenty of time.
As we enter the park, there are a couple of blokes sitting on the steps that Charlie gives a wave to.
A few minutes later & we are into a heavily treed section of the park which is not visible from the street, at this point Charlie turns & demands that I hand over my wallet before I can even begin to tell him " no effing way " I am hit on the back of the head with what I think was a tree branch as I still remember the sound that it made as it broke in half on contacting the back of my skull.
I was still conscious as I fell to the ground, it was the perfectly timed kick to my temple from sue with her steel capped boot that knocked me out completely.





Hobbit

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #147 on: January 15, 2018, 06:15:15 AM »
Oh Les I can't stand it!  Rotten buggers! Please do hurry up & continue... (sorry)
Pen
If life gives you lemons, add a large gin & some tonic...

TRex

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #148 on: January 15, 2018, 07:48:08 AM »
More evidence that smoking is unhealthy!

Ozzyjack

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Re: More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)
« Reply #149 on: January 15, 2018, 08:04:22 AM »
More evidence that smoking is unhealthy!

Trex, for an American, you have a very Australian sense of humor. ;)
Regards, Jack