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Guestbook

1. Ann Binns (nee Congerton)

Ann pictured in the late 70's

Ann and her husband Les emigrated to New Zealand in 1974.

2. Les and Ann Binns

Les and Ann in 1995

3. Pauline and Alf Bunyan

Alf and Pauline (nee Congerton) Bunyan in Sept. 2002.

Pauline (sister of Ann Binns) lived in South Bank and went to St.Peter's School and St.Anne's School in the late 50's and 60's. She has lived in Whangarei, New Zealand since 1980 in a small picture book house with a wooded area at the bottom of her garden she calls "Crinkly Bottom". The original "babbling brook" runs through the wood and when I visited her and her husband the air was filled with the most wonderful scent. I asked what the lovely smell was and she answered "Me"! Actually it was the blossom on the macadamia nut trees in the garden.

4. Little Munro Bay

Sunrise from the Binns's living room

Ex-Pat Les Binns who lives in Little Munro Bay, up north in New Zealand, got up early one morning to do a bit of fishing (for breakfast!) and took this snap of the sunrise from his living room window. Actually he was sat on the couch having a cup of tea before walking the fifty yards to the beach!! Where did we go wrong?

5. Alex Jinks

Alex Jinks on the Cairn Curran Reservoir.

Beats the hell out of the Old Brickie pond!

Alex is the son of Kathy and Alex Jinks (the plumber), and was the half brother of Alec "Bright-eyes" Power. He sent quite an e-mail and the best thing I can do is reproduce it here plus the pic I asked for:

Hello Dick,

Just been talking to "MotherDear" about the link to web cams of Yorkshire.The "silver haired web surfer from "Down Under" is going to check them out in the morning".

In your last email you asked how old I was when we left for Australia, well I was 11.

This year I will turn Fifty and yet it all seems like a dream. My Dad told me that life goes by so quickly and he certainly wasn't wrong!! (Tell me about it! Dick.)
Dad passed away in 1976 aged 69. He was a victim of lung cancer brought about by a lifetime of cigarette smoking. "Mother Dear" is still alive and kicking, a sprightly 72 years (or more) and as mentioned above is a new aged granny surfing the web and occasionally sending an email or two to someone on the other side of the world. (We haven't figured out who got them yet!!)

After looking through your web site recognising familiar names such as "The Wooden Bridge" and "The Black Path" I would be lying if I said that it didn't bring back fond memories and a few tears to my eyes.

I was born at 21 Cross Street (corner Connaught and Cross Streets) South Bank in 1952.

There are names I can clearly remember - Norman Earl, Elaine Palmer, Michael Hamilton, Dennis Guidney, David Tilley and there are others, that after so many years their names are just out of reach of the faint memories of my youth in South Bank.

There are school friends, teachers and Nuns
who's faces I can see but can't quite put a name to. York Street, Napier Street and Middlesbrough Road Schools. Regular attendace at St Peters
Church for "Holy Communion" and "Confession", including a short period as a Choir Boy before my voice broke. A "Gold Star" back at school if you went to 7 o'clock Mass. The priest would ask everybody to "cough now" so his sermon would not be interupted !

Uri Gagarin circled the Earth a few times back then but I've got better memories of the "Slag Heaps" that you could run and climb over on those "Balmy Enlish Summer Days". Does anybody else remember the old man that ran "The Boiler House" over near the slag heaps?

And rope swings around lamp posts!

There are many of my (Scarborough Street) generation that will remember "Skippers Lane " and trips to "The Beck" and catching "Newts" and
"Stickle Backs". Hurling "throwing arrows" over in the fields near where "The Gypsies" would make camp. Remember the flocks of Geese?! Back when a boys pet was a "Tortoise" and high overhead flew the R.A.F delta wing jets.

When Princess Margaret came to town (about 1961) we had a half day off school to wave as she went down the "Trunk Road". I think I saw her!!

November 5th "Bonfire Nights" long ago when fireworks were legal. To make your way home at night with 2rd degree burns to your hands from
holding a "Penny Banger" a few second longer than you planned to do!! Ahh yes good memories!!

Raiding other Bonfires (mostly in plans and imagination) for fuel to make yours the biggest and best bonfire and searching in the remnants
for the potatoes thrown into the fire the night before.

Days when "Bill and Ben" , "Andy Pandy", "Rag,Tag and Bobtail", "Supercar", "Torchy", "Fireball XL5" and "Four Feather Falls" reigned
supreme on Television and "Max Bygraves" singing "Standing on the corner watching all the girls go by" was late night viewing!!

"Dandy" and "Beano" comics, "Valiant" for the older boys!!

How many pairs of socks you could fit on your feet and still squeeze them into a pair of "Wellington Boots" in the winter? Any spare pairs were worn on your hands. Cold winter nights that cause the pipes to burst. My Dad (Plumber) would fix them!!

Mums and Dads that would bring home a packet of Crisps (complete with little blue bags of salt) from the "pub". 3 penny "Dandelion and Burdock" frozen lollies from that shop somewhere over towards the "Hippodrome". I saw "The Giant Spider" and "Pollyanna" at that theatre. I swear I didn't cry at at the closing scenes in "Pollyanna"

These are just some of my memories of South Bank but the "Sixtees" was an era of emigration, some left for South Africa, others to New Zealand and the "Jinks'" left for Australia.

There are opportunities in Australia that could never have been realized in "South Bank" yet I envy some of you that stayed. Long gone are my
lifelong friends that never were because of our move to the other side of the world.

One day I would like to visit !!

Regards and best wishes, Alex.

Boy, have you got the Nostalgia Blues!
Whatever you do, Alex, don't visit. Keep your memories. If you want to see anything in particular tell me and I'll photograph it and send it!

Looking through your "memories", are you sure we didn't send you over there!! You seem to miss the cold more than anything, well I know you have huge fridges over there so empty yours of the beer cans and sit in it for a couple of hours - you'll soon appreciate the heat you've got!

I remember most of the things (except your level of entertainment! Oh, and it was the King Brothers sang "Watching all the girls go by!) but I don't remember the geese. In those days people used to shoot them - tasty! - but now-a-days they're protected and consequently there are millions of them about the place!

Oh, and the shop near the Hippodrome was Shingler's, also known as the Marie(?) Stores! Thanks for writing in and entertaining us with your memories. You might have triggered something in others...
Update: Alex does have a large fridge but keeps his home brew beer in it. As he says, he drinks it as fast as he brews it (Definitely a Slaggy Islander!) so presumably the fridge is to keep the flies off!!

6. The Binns's and Halls

The Binns's and Hall's in 1975

Photo hot off the internet from Ann Binns showing her and Les with Derek and Sylvia Hall at the Ruakaka Power Station Ball in 1975!

7. The Real McElvaney

An up-to-date photo of Eugene McElvaney

"There's a McElvaney if ever I saw one!"
Here's a nice portrait of Eugene McElvaney living in Melbourne.

8. Been Fishin'

Eugene McElvaney with a small catch!

Eugene likes to do a bit of fishing "just near his home"!

9. The Gollogly's Of Canada

The Gollogly's in Redcar!

It's been a funny old week. First I was pulled up by a stranger who said "Excuse me, but do they call you Dick Fawcett?" When I said they did he grasped my hand and said his name was Steve Gollogly from Vancouver in Canada and he had hoped to meet me to shake my hand and buy me a pint! Of course he was on about this site and he's sent in a few pics but I was so flabbergasted I didn't ask any questions and I haven't had the pint yet. Has it been so long since I left South Bank that I let a pint escape? I must have been in shock! Still, it was a pleasant experience. Thanks, Steve.

As a founder member of Redcar Amateur Photographic Society I'm ashamed to say I let the side down by not having a camera with me and it was left to Steve and his wife to take the pics. (When they got back to Canada they scanned them and the result is above). However, I've had my camera with me every day since and today (8/8/02) it paid off when I bumped into Brian Walker with his brother

If you are interested in the story have a look at the "Slaggy Islanders Now!" page under "The Walker Brothers"! You can also see Shelagh on the "St. Peter's School" page under "First Confession"!

10. Ray and Ann Forster

Ray and Ann find a bit of shade

Ray Forster retired from the local council in 1992 and his wife Ann (nee Wilson, formerly Curry) retired from Asda in 1996.
Following a major operation, Ray was advised to move to a warmer climate. This gave the pair the incentive they needed and in 1997 they moved to Costa Blanca in Spain where they soon made many friends in their new surroundings and are now enjoying "the good life"!
However, they haven't forgotten their roots and return whenever possible to visit their families which include ten granchildren.

11. Brian Walker

Brian and Ruth at Christmas 2001

Brian Walker (ex South Terrace) at home in Ontario with his partner Ruth. Based in Canada, Brian has worked all over the world in all sorts of conditions and environments but it was only when he came back here to visit family last Easter that he fell ill. He is still recovering but is determined to get to the reunion on the 8th of October before finally returning to Canada in November.

12. Pete Betts

Pete in Rio at the races

Pete isn't really an ex-pat, just a temp! Previously he was in Holland but now he's working(?!) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

13. Neil Meeham

Pete Betts met up with Slaggy Islander Neil at the races in Rio

Another temp!

South Bankers Get Around!

Eugene McElvaney and his wife in South America

Even people who live in Melbourne like to take a holiday now and then and Eugene McElvaney is no exception. Him and his wife have just enjoyed a South American cruise! I'll let him tell you about it:

"Well we are back in one piece. The trip around South America was fantastic. Cruising is a great way to travel. It's so easy, only unpacking and packing once, waking up the next day and you are in another port, being waited on hand and foot. We even had time to learn the Argentinean Tango on the ship. (It's the most sensual dance I've ever done, enough said!!). The South American coastline is quite spectacular, with views of the Andes and hundreds of islands. There are also some pretty big glaciers extending from the alps into the sea. The Falkland's was a pretty place, almost like the Scottish coastal town out of Hamish Macbeth. The locals had a sort of west country English accent and were probably more British than the British. Worth fighting for. We managed to make a trip to the Falkland's War memorial to pay our respects. We thought we would miss our ship out of the Falklands, we went on a tour to see the penguins and the driver didn't do an head count and left without us. Luckily, one of the locals was kind enough to take us back and we made it with 30 seconds to spare. The trip around Cape Horn was very rough with winds of 60 mph. I wouldn't have liked to go around there in those old sailing ships like Drake and Magellan did. Sometimes the westerly wind is so strong that the old ships used to take weeks to get around 'The Horn', because they would keep getting blown back, one ship took 84 days to go around. It was really exciting and luckily the Norwegian Dream was 63,000 tons and could handle the 40-50 foot waves quite well. So if you or your family members are thinking of ever doing that trip I can recommend it. However, be careful in the capital cities of Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Santiago. I was mugged in Santiago by three thugs. It was in a very crowded main street and they jumped me from behind. I lost quite a bit of cash and all my cards etc. It took me a week when I got home to sort everything out. I had 4 credit cards, medical, university, football club, Drivers and Boat licenses to get. It could have been worse, although I fought back (which Southbanker wouldn't) I only came fourth, the only real injuries I received was to my dignity and hip pocket nerve. It is a good lesson to me, if I'm going to travel in these poor areas, I'll have to be more careful in future. We are off to Bali for a week at Easter. My son Ross, said to me 'Why do you go to these places and take risks like that' my reply was, "At my age I can afford to take risks, whereas, you have a young family and a lots of years ahead of you, so the younger ones are the ones who shouldn't take risks". We will be meeting my brother Michael and his wife and new baby in Bali. It will be great to see them again and catch up with all the family gossip and have a beer or three.
Must go, Good luck to you and your family. Eugene"

In The Falklands

Eugene McElvaney lays a wreath in The Falklands

Yesterday (13/3/03) I got a call off Tommy Holvanhill who mentioned that his neighbour, master carpenter Colin Meikoleit, had carved an oak cross which had been erected in the Falklands as a memorial. Then today I received the e-mail from Eugene McElvaney with two photos. Unfortunately it wasn't Colin's cross but I thought I'd mention the coincidence.

Cynthia (Latus) Morand

I know this is a Gallery but Cynthia hasn't sent a photo in - as yet.
She emmigrated 19?? and now lives "Mid North Coast, NSW" but she used to live next door to Dan Pluck in Costa Street - I'll let her tell the rest:

G'day Dick,
Yes, I read the story about Dan and our Stan throwing live ammunition in the fire with interest - the things you boys got up to! Mind you I was great at shinning up drainpipes onto Cromwell Road Schools's roof to get balls back, no fear of heights then (only the old witch caretaker - and her dog).

Stan was never any good at writing so never hear from him, he lives in Normanby. My young brother Colin married a girl from Grangetown and they live in Perth, W.A. They are grey nomads and come for a visit every two years when they are travelling round Oz in their van. Col loves a crack about the old days. My elder sister Norma lives in St. Ives, Hunts. I've told them all about your website in case they've got access to a computer.

My girlfriend who wrote me about your site was Judy Newton, her family used to live in Salisbury Terrace and she's in Eston now. She married Norman Loughborough which surname crops up quite a bit on your site. We recently got back in contact through her elder sister Elaine in Adelaide who found me, her school picture is also on your site.

Was interested to read about Vin Garbutt, saw him in a performance in Sydney about 20 years ago and it was a grand night, my husband is Australian and he just about fell on the floor laughing - loves the northern sense of humour. I've got a few of his LP's and still sing along with the songs sometimes (the Waters of Tyne is a favourite in the shower!). We've decided to stay in the vinyl and tape cassette era so no CD's.

Our daughters and their families are in Sydney, but we dropped out of the rat race in 1986 and went for the simple life in a valley on the Mid North Coast of NSW. Colin couldn't find us on the map first visit. Catch our own rainwater, lots of wood for the fire in the winter, there's a general store/cafe and the primary school, dairy farms, mountains and green paddocks, kangaroos and lorikeets, very peaceful. 30 mins. to the nearest town on the coast, where Phil plays trombone in the local band (and the computer user group answers all my questions, absolutely necessary if you live in the sticks) and we go to Sydney now and then (about 5 hours drive) to see the kids.

Tell Dan and Derek Tye hello from me, and also Pauline Addison if he ever sees her (boy, she used to make me laugh).
Regards, Cynthia.

Cynthia later added this:
Don't know whether you watch Channel Four in the UK, but "Eden" - the latest survivor series - was actually set about 10 km up the road from us. So from mentioning in my last email that we were barely on the map - our area's now been seen all over the UK! When my sister was over from the UK on holiday once she got lost on a walk and after going through three barbed wire fences remarked crossly that you could break your leg up there and not be found for weeks - so, a good setting for "Survivor" eh? Regards, Cynthia.

John Richardson

John with a tinny outside his house in Wollongong

I received this e-mail from John Richardson in Oz and thought it was worth putting on the site and I hope John sends a pic soon.
"Hello Dick,
Thank you for your prompt reply to my E Mail (Did you notice the date on my header) I bet you thought Rip Van Winkle was still alive and not very good at operating computers. My son (who owns this computer) came over this morning and fixed up the Gremlin so Rick contacted me succesfully this morning, as did Joe Mason,(This is fantastic)So I am all set to get involved in some serious communication.
My wife Kathleen (Kathy) and I, with our two children Anthony and Kay, came out here in August 1968. We made our home here in the City of Wollongong (pronounced Wool-en-gong) and we have lived here since then. To further twist your tongue we actually live in the suburb of Unanderra (pronounced Yoo-nan-derra.) Now we go for broke ....As we live along a relativly narrow strip of land sandwiched between the Great Dividing Range and the sea (just south of Sydney and down about 200 km to a city called Nowra) It`s called the Illawarra region (ILL-a-Warra). Try saying that lot when you have had too many Amber Sandwiches.
Kathy is a ladies hairdresser; she has had a salon locally for about 30 years. I have worked for a Refractory Co for about 14 years as a "Refractory Technician" /" Boilermaker"(in reality a Jack of all trades and absolutely master of none).
My son and his wife Tanja and our newest Grandson Joshua live fairly local. My daughter, her husband James and our two Grandsons Ben and Dan live down in Tasmania in the Huon Valley south of Hobart. A beautifull area, almost identical to the Dales around Reeth and Arkengarthdale in Yorkshire (and just as cold!). We have just returned from a fortnight's holiday down there. We had a great time, but could'nt live there. I prefer the temperate climate we have here in New South Wales and as I love gardening, the fact that I can grow my Tomatoes for 11 months of the year will do me.
Well Dick, I hope I haven't rambled on too much, I will keep in touch with your wonderful site and I look forward to being able to subscribe to it soon,(out come the albums.) So I will sign off now and will talk to you later.
Best wishes to you ,John.(Richardson.)"
A further e-mail from John answered a few questions:

"I lived at No 1 Surrey St from 1947 to about 1960, We moved to Middlesbrough from London around 1946, I actually started my schooling at Victoria Rd in the Boro,We then moved to South Bank in 1947 where I resumed school at the Infants at Princess St. The 10 years or so that I lived in South Bank were wonderful except for a time in 1954 when my sister Jennifer was killed outside St John`s Church by a Trolley Bus. She rushed across the road when the doors of the Church opened for a Wedding Party. She was only eight years old.
Anyway to move on,I left the Central in 1957 when I was just 15 and started work at the Bobbin Recovery in the Terylene plant of ICI Wilton whilst waiting for a position in the training school as an apprenticed Electrician, It was`nt to be however as all my life I have been a fully payed up member of Cockups Incorporated.I put it that way so as not to offend any member of the law-making Murphy family. Well my Dad managed to get me an apprentiship with a company in the Boro by the name of C Horne Electrical Engineers down in Dock St.
I met my wife Kathleen during that time,around 1961 I think. We courted (don`t the young-uns giggle about that word) until 1964 when we married at The Cathedral in Sussex St M`bro on the 14th March. Our first - a boy -Anthony John was born Feb 1965 and our second - a girl Kay Louise was born Jan 1967. I was on my way into work at ICI Billingham one afternoon shift when I saw on the top side of another bus an advert saying " Come to Sunny Australia - It brings out the best in you " and we came -and it`s true. Obviously there`s more to it than I have time to talk about, now,and I would`nt want to give the impression that it was all plain sailing,Indeed the fact that I have this nostalgia for South Bank and Middlesbrough means that my heart is still back there, but I do love this country. So I guess I will just have to split myself betwixed the two.(And loving it.)
Well to answer the final part of your Email- we live about 100 km due south of Sydney in the City of Wollongong. JR."

"I know that bloke!"

No photo yet

Note: This is a copy of a piece in the Slaggy Tales page.

Some time ago some one signed in on the Guestpage (as you do!) asking if anyone knew him. After he had triggered the old memory box I did eventually recall him although I don't think I had seen him since I was about thirteen. I wrote back to him and since then we've corresponded in the usual e-mail fashion of forwarding jokes.
On Friday, June 6th, I attended the Dunkirk Veterans Remembrance Service in the Memorial Garden on Coatham Road, Redcar. No, I'm not that old but they were to meet afterwards in the RAFA Club, of which I'm a member.
There was, as they say, a good turn out with an excellent buffet put on by the club. I was having a pint and talking to a few friends when I was approached by one of the Veterans with a chestful of medals.
"Excuse me," he said. "Are you Dick Fawcett?"
I said I was and he said his name was Maurice Norman. I didn't know him. He passed a bit of paper to me and said he'd been asked to give it to me. It read: "I think I know that bloke across the room - Dick Fawcett."
I was puzzled but he said that his youngest brother was over on holiday from Australia. However, he had had a stroke two years ago and had lost the power of speech. His name was Eric Norman who had written to me some time ago.
I looked across the packed room and one shining face stood out and I recognised him immediately although I hadn't seen him for over fifty years. I went across and we shook hands and then he threw his arms around me. The hair on the back of my head stood up!
It was quite a moment and I thought that it was the perfect answer to my wife who is always asking what I get out of "sitting at that computer all the time"!!!
Thanks Eric, and I hope you keep on writing to me.
Dick.

Frankie French

Frank in 1967

Frank wrote in from his home in Bulgaria:
"It seems you like long write-ups about ex-pats so here goes. Note I lived at 4 addresses in Southbank between 1947 and 1976.

I was born in Southbank at 28 Normanby road which is on Clay lane Row. There were slag tips at the back of the house. There used to be a market there every Friday and we bought a lot from the junk stall which was just accross the road from us. We had a wind-up gramophone and lots of old 78s. When my eldest brother John started work we got an electric record player, a Dansette. We got two new records; Singing the blues by Guy Mitchell and Green Door by Frankie Vaughan. I used to play on the pudling and on the wooden bridge. I went to York street school from 1952. I used to pass the blacksmiths on North Street on my way to school. I was a very shy boy and when I was in 1A at Napier Street school we had dancing classes and the boys had to choose a girl as a dancing partner. I was too shy and Janice Philips would always come to my rescue and be my partner. We moved to a new Wimpey house at 73 Uvedale road when I was about 7. Next door lived the Lewis's. I watched Keyne's Close, Barne's Road, an chadwick close being built and used to play on the building sites. Again we still had a good view of the steel works and were close to the slag tip where I used to play.

Across the road from us were the Sowerbys, Vaughans, Phelps's. I think Jean Kent lived on the corner of Barne's Road. I remember Sandra Harrison from further along Uvedale. Paul Daniels used to come to our house to collect the rent for the council. I used to go to school with Freddy Robinson , and James Smith from Bevan-Lee Road, and Peter MacDonald from Keir Hardie Crescent.

From 1958 to 1963 I went to St. Mary's college in Middlesbrough. Sometime during this period we moved to 47 Strauss Road. My brother Jimmy French lived at number 6 Strauss road with his wife Myra and two sons.

When I left school at 16 with 7 O levels I was told I could apply to Smith's Dock for a job at �2:50 per week, The steel works for �3:50 per week, or ICI Wilton for �4:50 per week. I ended up at ICI of course, as a lab assistant in the Polyolefines research department.

In 1967 I left ICI to study for a degree at Teesside poly.

I used to grow my hair very long and have it cut by Maurice Ward in Middlesbrough who made wigs. He got publicity out of it by getting the Evening gazette to take some photos. In 1971 I couldn't find suitable work for a Maths graduate and took a job as a brickie's labourer in the Cleveland works. In 1972 I got a job with British Steel as a computer programmer. In 1973 I got married to Pauline Ellison, daughter of my brother John's second wife Queenie and bought a house at 4 Salisbury Terrace. We had two daughter's born at Overdene in Saltburn before we left Southbank to work for Ford tractors in Basildon, Essex in 1976. In 1981 we moved to Ardersier, Inverness where I worked for McDermotts Scotland and in 1984 we moved to the midlands where I worked at IBM Warwick for over 10 years. After being made redundant I eventually got a job with British Midland at Castle Donington then in 1996 a well paid contract at Erding near Munich in Germany. It was in September 1996 that my brother Billy French killed his ex-girlfriend and then killed himself. I returned to England to try and find work near home in Leamington Spa but had little success. So I took a job in Eindhoven, Netherlands and that was when my marriage ended.

My next contract was also in the Netherlands at IBM Zoetermeer and I rented a flat in The Hague. When that ended I met a Bulgarian woman in a chat room for people in their fifties on the internet. Eight days later I flew to Sofia to meet her and I got her a flight to London for the Millenium celebrations. In 2000 I eventually moved to join her in Bulgaria and bought an uncompleted house. It's now just over 4 years since we first chatted on the internet. The house is still uncompleted. Looks like I'm here to stay though, as the cost of living is so low. I like to visit Southbank when I can and drink the Double Maxim. My brother Alan still lives in Bevanlee road with Gill Daniels and their five kids.

I've attached A photo from 1967 when I had my long blond hair and a photo with my sister Mary French on the Black Sea coast this summer.
Frank."

20. Frankie French 2

Yogi Frank with his sister Mary on the Black Sea coast

Frankie wrote in again:
"Hi again Dick,
I just realised a mistake or two in my previous email. Here is the corrected sentence:

I used to go to school with Freddy Robinson and James Smith from Bevan-Lee Road, and Bernard MacDonald from Kier Hardie Crescent.

Oh, and I also knew Pete Betts and the McElvaneys.

Fond regards to all,

Franky French"

21. A Century In Stone

The cover of Craig Hornsby's work of art

Without the discovery of iron ore in the Eston Hills there would have been no Steel Industry in the area and probably no South Bank.
Craig Hornsby has put together the history of the local mining industry in an informative and entertaining film which I can personally recommend and which I am sure will appeal in particular to our ex-pats around the world.

Incidentally, although Craig was born in Guisborough maternity hospital he lived in Steele Crescent, 1967, before emigrating to the very first houses in the lush green pastures of Whale Hill... and he was ex St Peter's too!
A Century In Stone

22. Michael McElvaney

Michael McElvaney with his globe trotting son John!

Michael has now relocated in Qingdao, China (I'm going to look it up!) and sends photos of himself, wife Cindy and son John enjoying the summer sunshine.

PS. My daughter-in-law Lingling, who is from Taiwan, tells me that Qingdao is near the northernmost tip of Korea and is known for its very cold weather. Make the most of the summer, Michael! She also said that Qingdao is just south of Liaoning where her father's Manchurian ancestors are from. She said Michael is bound to know of it! (If it isn't written in English he's got no chance because neither place sounded like anything like they look in English!!!)

23. Michael 2

Michael and son don their sun glasses

24. Mrs Mack

Michael's wife Cindy poses for Michael with their son

25. Micky Webster

South Banker Micky Webster living the life on the Costa Blanca

Mick uses his dad's middle name for his act. See number 45 on the Military Service page.

26. Jet Setting South Bankers!

l-r: Carole McElvaney with Kathleen Williams and her husband Colin

Photo from Eugene McElvaney
Kathleen and her husband Colin (no surname yet!) who live in California, USA, were on holiday in Australia visiting Eugene and Carole at their home in Brisbane.
Kathleen was in Eugene's class at St Peter's School.

See also the Achievers page.

27. Kathleen Williams

Old classmates Kathleen Williams and Eugene McElvaney

28. John & Kath Richardson

John and Kathy celebrating cleaning the car!

I got an email and photos from John dated 26 August 2007
"Owdo Dick,
I thought I would drop you a line as it has been some considerable time since I sent you "owt" from OZ.
Well now,......... Spring is in the air....... When a young mans fancy turns to thought's of...... err umm... oh gosh...., Ah well, I retire in two and a half months, I might remember the end of that ditty by then. Seriously though, Spring is here with a thump, I love it. You can smell the Bush (eucalyptus and Gum Trees) and the grass is starting to grow, as well as all of the seedlings I have put in over the last two weeks which I have to protect from the Lorikeets and Cockatoos. Normally they don't bother me but with the Drought they have come down from the Bush for food and drink and I must confess to feeding them. I buy a $5 bag of Sunflower Seed every few weeks and I suppose they get used to being fed. They really are colourful though.
Bought myself one of those G.P.S. thingies a couple of weeks ago - they are bloody brilliant. I got it cos Kathy and Me intend to shoot off up North when I retire to see the Wineries of the Hunter Valley (Newcastle) hic burp... and further up into Queensland, especially right up into Far North Queensland like Townsville and Cairns and beyond.
Gotta go mate, Tea's calling, You all take care won't you. By the way... can we be included into the 'Ex Pat's Index, we are in the Gallery but not the Index........Tah, Regards, John."