Lost Lads

Lads,

The e-mail contact/update exercise we conducted in November 2012 yielded the following results:

These e-mail addresses bounced:

Fred Renneberg
Barry Stedman
Joe Mascinskas
Ken Struthers
Greg Starkey
Peter Wynne
Mark Smith
Tom Jones
Ian Battishall
Stephen Edge
Victor Nossar
Malcolm McDonald
Peter Clements

As of 10 December 2012, these e-mail addresses have not replied:

Bruce Ferguson
Chris Warren
David Mercer
David Stewart
Denis Burns
Eugen Molodysky
Gary Sykes
Geoff Kerr
Graeme Murphy
Harry Bodisco
Howard Reus
Ian Brown
Ian Sharman
Jim Kerr
Malcolm Cato
Martin Yeomans
Peter Carpenter
Philip Larkin
Richard Wilson
Roger Jones
Ross Dixon
Steve Kelly (Qld)
Warwick Fogden

E-Mail Addresses - a Thought.

Now that so many of us are inching towards retirement, and several lads have even passed that milestone, it might be time to think about getting ourselves a free web-mail address, e.g. gmail, hotmail, yahoo. 

Why? IMNSHO...

• Webmail is accessible 24/7, from any computer, anywhere. No matter how many times you change employment, or move your place of residence, your web-based e-mail address will remain the same. You don't even need your own Internet connection to access webmail, you can use a free computer at the local library. So we can keep in touch with you, and you with us, no matter where you roam.
• Your work e-mail address will lapse with your 'separation', as is the term. But your webmail address will not change. 
• You might change providers, from BigPond to Optus to Internode to (etc. etc.), but your webmail address will not alter.
• Another advantage of webmail: if your account starts to become spam-afflicted, you can simply open up a new one, at no charge, circularize everyone on your mailing list, including of course the STHS 1969 Reunion, and continue a life of serenity at your new (spam-free) webmail address. Changing providers involves cash outlay.
• You can set a webmail address to instantly forward your mail to your BigPond or Optus or Internode (etc. etc.) e-mail address, if you wish.

Please, as Mitsubishi used to say, consider.

Vale Alan Owen

1969 lad Alan Owen has not been in the best of health for some time. 

Alan's family set up a blog, The Festival of Alans, to report on Alan's doings and his progress. The news posted there was usually cheerful and positive.

Nonetheless, and almost inevitably, this sad news came today, November 27, 2012:


We are sorry to say we have some upsetting news.
Alan passed away peacefully on Sunday morning at 5.30am in his home.
We will post more information when we can and will have the details of the funeral for you as soon as they have been decided.
Much love

Ruby and Michele

Dear friends, Here are the funeral arrangements for Alan: 

To both celebrate the life of Alan and to bid him a splendid farewell, an outdoor service overlooking the ocean will be held in the grounds of Wombarra/Scarborough Cemetery at 10.30 am on Friday 30th November. Wombarra Cemetery is located on Lawrence Hargrave Drive Wombarra (closest cross street is Denmark Street). For those who have been to Alan's house, it is a 10 minute drive north of his home.

After the funeral Ruby and Michele would love Alan's family and friends to join them back at home (33 George St Thirroul).

What to bring

The weather forecast is for hot weather building up to storms at the end of the day. Please bring an umbrella or hat to protect yourself from heat and/or rain and a water bottle.

It would be great if those who are able to do so bring folding chairs, a plate or two of finger food and something to drink back to the house. We will share all of the food and provide ice for the drinks and paper plates for the food.

Parking

There is parking in the cemetery for about 50 cars or so. If parking in the cemetery, please make sure you park on the verge to leave lots of room for the hearse.

We want to have enough room to make a guard of honour for when Alan leaves on his last journey.

There is parking in Reef Avenue (immediately north of the cemetery), at Wombarra rock pool (below the cemetery), in Denmark Street (the side street opposite the cemetery) and limited parking on Lawrence Hargrave Drive. Can we please request that those who are fit and able leave the close parking for family and those not so fit.

Directions from Sydney

Head toward Wollongong on the freeway and take the left exit to Helensburgh and Stanwell Park. Come down the coast road (Lawrence Hargrave Drive) over the Seacliff Bridge. Wombarra Cemetery is at the southern end of Wombarra immediately past Reef Avenue on the left.

Directions from Wollongong

Turn into Lawrence Hargrave Drive from Bulli Pass. Wombarra Cemetery is a on the right a few hundred metres past Coledale Hospital.

Here is the link to more information about the cemetery -

http://memorialgardens.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/scarborough.htm

_______________________________

What is it that dies with friends?

To visit The Festival of Alans, click here.

Tech High Brotherhood

A dossier on some of the 1972 Lads, compiled by Mark Johnston.

Mark Johnston now, and 41 years before.

I have always felt that there was a special connection between the class of '69 and the class of '72 but had dismissed it as only existing in my mind. Having now received some Tech journals and done some digging I submit to you the following; obviously there were sets of siblings at Tech, that is the nature of a school environment, I never realised the extent.

There were 23 lads (at least) from my year who had siblings at Tech.

• Jim Kerr brother of Peter Kerr (class of '70) and Geoff Kerr ('68). On a number of Wednesday afternoons in 1972, in lieu of attending sport, we (Jim, Ross Bradstock and self) would "borrow" Geoff's Triumph 650 and take it for a spin around Marine Drive, Oatley.
• Ross Bradstock's brother Ken did the Leaving Certificate in 1965. In December of 1972 Ross, Dr. Ken, Martin Darling and self went to Tasmania and walked the overland track from Cradle Mountain to Lake St. Clair
• Martin Darling  -  Phil Darling (Class of '70) - used to "borrow" Phil's Peugeot 403 by removing some carport supports and pushing the Peugeot from the back yard to the street where we could clutch start it
• Geoff Patton    -  Laurie Patton (Class of '70), Geoff Patton, Jim Kerr (I think), Ray Lucre and Tim Gard were in a band together in the early 70s, and Laurie Patton who started as a journalist and is now a TV bigwig
• Rob Loosley     -  Stephen Loosley (Class of '70). Stephen was a labor senator for N.S.W. 1990 - 1995
• Mike Whelan    -  Ross Whelan (Class of '70)

Then we have the '69 - '72 connection:

S. Barr - -  Ron Barr,

Mark Bills - - Eric Bills,

Paul Carson - -  Jeff Carson,

Alan ('Normie') Crew - - Graham Crew,

Preston (Pep) Dunn - - Rob Dunn,

Lee Eccleston - - Glen Eccleston,

Stephen Gard - - Tim Gard,

Bob Goldsworthy  - -Richard Goldsworthy, 

Chris Johnston - - Mark Johnston,

Michael Kells - - Paul Kells, 

Jeff Matchett - - Tony Matchett,

Stephen Moulding - - Geoff Moulding, 

Jonathon Page - - Stephen Page,

Anthony Pearsall - - M. Pearsall,

P. Russell  - -  Frank Russell,

Greg Thomson - - Leigh Thomson      and

Martin Yeomans - -  Guy Yeomans
Ian Pilgrim - - Colin Pilgrim

.... but, alas and alack, no Taylor bro. We did have a Warren Taylor but he didn't look anything like Robbie and didn't come from South Hurstville. I, personally, haven't seen Robbie Taylor since the days when he would grace our garage and provide the musical backing for Bruce Lees singing "and her name was G----- L-----O----- R-----IIIIAAAAAAAAA, G L O R I A, backing singers chime in with - Gloooorrrriiiiaaa". It was perhaps another 15 years before I "discovered" that Van Morrison was the lead singer of 'Them'.

Former glory.
Alan Crew, Robbie Taylor, Leigh Muscio, Greg Thompson, Bruce Lees, 1965.

The organiser of our 2012 event, Garry Jennings, has sent me a CD of our night (with associated memorabilia reels)... Garry also organised our 2002 gathering which included 123 guests, 112 students, the then current headmaster and 10 of our teachers... a monumental task.

Some then-and-now snaps:

Ross Bradstock, Professor at the University of Wollongong and
Director of the Centre of Environmental Risk : Management of Bushfires.

Graham Crew : Captain – 1971 2nd XI – Cricket

Senior Pastor – Gymea Anglican Church 2012

Jim Kerr – brother of Geoff (class of 68).
Waiting patiently for Qantas to go broke
so he can receive a massive redundancy payment.

Richard Goldsworthy &  Leigh Thomson
Insets: Richard: 1^st grade cricket & rugby 1972. Leigh:  circa 1973-77?


            

Jeff Carson – brother of Paul (Kit).
I can remember vividly the very first time we met in 1967.
We were coming out of the gym and Jeff accosted me
and said “I know you, you’re Chitney’s brother”.

Colin Pilgrim - brother of Ian

The Boys of '72 Sign On

A phone-call last week from Mark Johnston, brother of Chris 'Dont Call Me Chitney' Johnston results in a wondrous influx of Techorabilia from the Lads of the Class of 1972.

Here's the slide-show displayed at their 40th reunion, held 12 November 2012.