Mums story part 3

Mum came to Tasmania for your christening and stayed with us for a few weeks, we went on picnics up to the river where there was a park overlooking savage river itself.

You and I went back with mum and stayed on Wayfarer for a while and went sailing with the crew which was Kevin, Chris, Mum and Dad.

We would have BBQs potatoes wrapped in foil and thrown onto the goals of the fire, sausages and oysters. We could collect from the rocks red Nell and plonk, that’s why I wasn’t christened as I refused to drink the red wine which they called blood of Christ.

We eventually came back to live in Sydney and on Sundays when we could we would go to the Wayfarer and go sailing with the crew. I had known Chris and Kevin from the age of twelve.

We moved to st Lenard’s with Toni, Mouse, Leach and Terrie, we lived in the garage the others in the big house above the garage. Terrie was a funny Irishman that seemed to live there too.

“George would disappear for weeks on end and these men boys were your guardian angels so protective, no one but no one would ever harm you and you used too crawl from person to person receiving cuddles from all as they sat in a circle and I sitting in the middle of the circle you were so loved by everyone.

I remember one day it was raining heavily and the water came rushing in to the garage, we didn’t have time to get to the big house so we climbed into the cot to keep dry till the rain had stopped and then we stayed in the big house till it all dried up before returning.

We would walk to the park and have lots of fun and laughter and the shop for food. Always with Leach by our side he was tall, skinny as a rake, long brown hair and a beard you always had a body guard with you.

Toni was always sitting in a big arm chair he was thin and small and always in black the chair seemed to consume him he was the head of the clan, the curtains were always drawn, bongs smoke and god knows what else was lying around in the dark house with dark carpet print a dungeon as I remember it. Toni came over to Australia from London with George they both stayed at Barnardo’s Boys town until fostered out to families.

Then we moved to Mosman with the gang. Then we moved to North Sydney with the gang, this house had a veranda fresh air but it was still a little bit Smokey in the house. We sat on the balcony together watching people go by, we would count people with short hair, long hair and blue cars. One day Den came around giving a lot and lecturing about how wrong it was to bring up a child in this type of environment we stayed much to Dens dismay. One day I don’t know how it happened but we were back on the Northern Beaches Dee. Why only half a house on our own only George you and me, it was great we went to the park every day and there was an old fisherman that would wait for you in the morning and you would sit on the beach and look in his bucket ‘ he always had a surprise for you in his bucket’ he was a lovely old man and he always seemed to catch a fish.

We had a blow up pool at the back of the house and you would run around the yard as we turned the hose on you then you would jump into the middle of the pool. Dee Why was the best time of our lives we were free to walk stick our feet in the sand, build sand castles and play hide and seek love happiness we had everything we everything needed.

Then we moved again this time to Melbourne ICA factory George was employed as a fitter and turner in the factory and I did part time hairdressing. A friend of my boss would pick me up and drop me to work and you to play school ‘Day Centre’ and she would also bring us home. Helga my boss and Maggie were good friends.