ANZAC DAY IN BRISBANE AUSTRALIA 25 APRIL 2011

We started our day by renewing acquaintances with our Inala friends and leading their (shortened) parade proudly conveying one veteran each in our two jeeps down to Memorial Park. Dale then lined up ahead of me to carry aging veterans through the streets of Brisbane. My vets and I had a ball! Co-incidentally all three comrades were from the 2nd 9 Division (my father’s) and we were all wearing regimental ties. Theirs’ were blue indicating their roles in the artillery and mine was green showing my father’s tank driving and instructing cavalry role! It was exciting to have this commonality and we were able to share stories regarding troop placements, medals and badges. Sharing the jeep with them was sheer joy as we lapped up the attention of film crews interviewing them and their family, friends and other well wishers paying tribute to them. My veterans weren’t sure about taking the salute from Queensland Governor Penelope Wensley and reckoned that I had to take it for them. (I did not.) We unanimously decided to pull up at the pub for a beer afterwards. Due to the large number of golf buggies at hand, the jeeps were largely not required (very unusual and disappointing to only get one lap).

On our final “thank you” lap, I filled my jeep with Vietnamese students to the delight of the crowd. Their enthusiastic waving of the Australian flag drew a lovely response from our Governor, as she called out showing her enthusiasm for them. Four large vehicles turned up on the day, Michael and Emiel’s Studebaker, Nigel and Lisa’s Blitz, Doug’s GMC, and the more newly acquired ex Swiss Army 1962 Mercedes’Benz Unimog S404 owned by Geoff Jackson. In catching up with Geoff, I learned that he was really trying to make the most of his inaugural Anzac Day trip out in the Unimog. The Unimog, formerly owned by the Swiss Army part of NATO, “saw no action, I guess,” said Geoff. Starting out at the 7.00am Goodna early morning parade, he joined in with Brian Yates who’d brought along his jeep and trailer. Then onto the 9.15am Bundamba parade where he was the only military vehicle present. “They were very pleased to have me“, said Geoff. “ I knew that the club was looking for jeeps in the city, so I thought at least the Unimog will help to swell the numbers a bit.” Geoff made a beeline for Elizabeth Street where he was just in time to join in our “thank you” lap.

2013 A New Year's Resolution - Life Back on Track!

It’s now five years since the loss of our “income generating mechanism” and it’s time to move on. We had sold off all our real estate and share holdings, apart from our home and a block of land, to invest in a leveraged managed funds scheme called Storm Financial. Despite being in a downwards spiral sending good money after bad from mid 2008, we were assured that we would be in a position to ride out the long drawn out “storm”. However the dawn of a new year, 2009, revealed the extent of our loss with the foreclosure of Storm Financial Pty Ltd and the shutting down of its remaining funds under management by various Margin Lending Financial Institutions. Weathering the aftermath and facing utter devastation in retrospect has been the same lonely path for us followed by any other catastrophe survivor. The self flagellation, the panic, jealousy, exaggeration, loss of self importance, helplessness, isolation, loss of independence and dignity, desire to self destruct, all these processes begin. Then follows the reality that we can’t go back and yet we can’t seem to break free of the daily grind to “break even,” and when “untouchable reserves” of funds also start to dwindle. Now, looking back, these five years have not been lived in “financial privilege” as we had planned, but the events which have filled our lives have meant that we do and have exciting lives which came about by the choices and decisions we made previously. The birth of three more grandchildren and the opportunities of “grandparenting” we therefore experienced would sufficiently cover the love and support we were guaranteed by being close to family. Comfort and patience from friends and colleagues who were close enough to us to recognize and repair the cracks appearing within us. Not to be forgotten are all of our “customers” who have purchased our beloved wares as we “sold off” to keep things turning over for us. Some of you more generous than others, but all of you necessary and share our indebtedness. We look optimistically towards this new year, 2013, for a conclusion to our court proceedings for restitution in the Storm Financial case, for a strengthening of Global Stock Markets and improvements in Real Estate. Dale has found work with friends at the Brisbane Markets (fruit, vegetables and flowers) and is leading a happy fruitful life mixing with new friends and renewing acquaintances in the local Rocklea mechanical nexus. As for me, I’m looking for a new employment opportunity, making a fresh start, keeping my options open, utilizing any of my amazing skills, hoping to take myself to all four corners of the globe in my quest. Reigniting my blogspot will be my first priority by bringing it up to scratch with some of my jottings from these past years.