I was really touched to find a photograph online of my paternal grandfather at the Australian War Memorial website. He died in June 1963 and sadly I only met him once and in secret, for fear my grandmother would find out. She was extremely vindictive and unforgiving. I was denied having further face to face contact with him and he sadly died alone in a Ascot Vale boarding house. He evidently was a brave and gallant soldier and was decorated with the M.M. and the French Croix de Guerre, besides being mentioned in dispatches.
He was totally different to the lurid description of my grandmother and I am finding out more about her background from her family, which I have also found online. Because of the marriage breakdown, which happened before I was born, there were scant details about my paternal grandfather's family. The internet is peeling all that away and I do hope to one day meet the family, that even my father was unable to do. I am very sad that he is no longer with me to share this momentous discovery. Fortunately they did meet in secret when Dad went to Melbourne on business and was slowly able to repair the breech yet Time and Fate intervened.
Robin
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Monday April 6th.
I could write on last weekend's AFL round but really nothing inspires me there. Carlton will be the team to watch this season and at last Collingwood won. Geelong won but their weakness is when pressure is applied to them. Enuff on footy!
I must say I have been impressed with President Obama and the way he has handled the Europeans.It is obvious that he has built up a rapport with the European leaders who seem more at ease with him that with the previous incumbent, "Dubya" He is so measured and calm at the news conferences to the point of being boring. One American critic says he is too professorial.
The one European leader I dislike is Berlusconi. He is too rude and arrogant. The way he snubbed Angela Merkel at the Nato Summit to make or answer a cellphone call in full glare of the world's media, only demonstrates his rudeness and boorishness. He apparently also upset the Queen at the Palace at the G20 by shouting to Obama whilst next to H.M.
And Kev relished being on the World stage and got more publicity than little Johnny ever accomplished oat an international conference. Then he promptly got some unwelcome publicity for apparently shouting at a RAAF stewardess, because she delivered the wrong meal to him on another international flight. He is said to have reduced her to tears. Temper, Kevin!
Robin 5:41 GMT
I must say I have been impressed with President Obama and the way he has handled the Europeans.It is obvious that he has built up a rapport with the European leaders who seem more at ease with him that with the previous incumbent, "Dubya" He is so measured and calm at the news conferences to the point of being boring. One American critic says he is too professorial.
The one European leader I dislike is Berlusconi. He is too rude and arrogant. The way he snubbed Angela Merkel at the Nato Summit to make or answer a cellphone call in full glare of the world's media, only demonstrates his rudeness and boorishness. He apparently also upset the Queen at the Palace at the G20 by shouting to Obama whilst next to H.M.
And Kev relished being on the World stage and got more publicity than little Johnny ever accomplished oat an international conference. Then he promptly got some unwelcome publicity for apparently shouting at a RAAF stewardess, because she delivered the wrong meal to him on another international flight. He is said to have reduced her to tears. Temper, Kevin!
Robin 5:41 GMT
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Thursday's blog
An AFL team for Tassie? What a joke! As I previously have stated, the only option is to continue sponsorship of Hawthorn which would only cost 1/3 to 1/2 of what a full Tassie team would require. The idea was floated by the ALP in order to gain votes and divert public attention away from their many shortcomings and stuff-ups.
Tassie withdrew at the end of the 2008 season from the VFL and have opted to restart the failed Statewide League. 10 teams are mostly drawn from the previous TFL, NWFU and NTFA.Missing are Ulverstone and Sandy Bay. The former wants to come in later whilst the latter dissolved and is now known as Kingston in the SFL regional competition. Lauderdale is the new team and is from the eastern shore of Hobart. There is a distinct lack of interest from the public now we have four AFL matches at York Park. The old rivalries that were there in the past, are just not there. The attendances will be very small despite the hype from the local media.
The local ABC will be televising the match of the day but it a non-brainer as the majority will be watching AFL on commercial channels or Austar.
Robin L. Harwood
Tassie withdrew at the end of the 2008 season from the VFL and have opted to restart the failed Statewide League. 10 teams are mostly drawn from the previous TFL, NWFU and NTFA.Missing are Ulverstone and Sandy Bay. The former wants to come in later whilst the latter dissolved and is now known as Kingston in the SFL regional competition. Lauderdale is the new team and is from the eastern shore of Hobart. There is a distinct lack of interest from the public now we have four AFL matches at York Park. The old rivalries that were there in the past, are just not there. The attendances will be very small despite the hype from the local media.
The local ABC will be televising the match of the day but it a non-brainer as the majority will be watching AFL on commercial channels or Austar.
Robin L. Harwood
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
A new Month and a new Blog.
I was going to write more often in this blog and have decided to follow the trend and see if I can contribite more frequently. Laziness is not a virtue so really have no excuse to fall back on. Yes there is so much happening and yet we sit back and do nothing. We need to become involved and not lay back on the couch and do zilch. Action speaks louder than words.Well footy is back and that should a good source of blogs yet I know it isn't everybody's cup of tea.
The AFL season commenced last weekend and already Geelong has shown that they are going to be the powerhouse in 2009. Yet they do have flaws and if a team is able to put pressure on them, they seem to take a while to hit their stride. If the Cats are allowed to dominate early, the opposition finds it so hard claw back.
There were no real surprises in Round 1 and will Richmond recover from the hype and buildup prior to their match against Carlton. The Tigers were so woeful and Cousins did his hammy again and will be out for some months. I don't think they will recover either from the mauling from Geelong on Saturday night. Collingwood were disappointing for me and I don''t expect that Malthouse will last beyond this year and his contract runs out then. Doubtful if it is renewed.
Carlton certainly looks impressive and much improved. Melbourne will languish at the bottom of the ladder but Freo will get the wooden spoon IMHO.
The idea of a Gold Coast team in the AFL is ludicrous as Tasmania has more chances of doing better if they got a license. Yet the current economic climate isn't good at present for them either and the only possibility is for Tassie to continue sponsoring Hawthorn. It paid off in 2008! The idea of a separate team is a pipedream of Labor to get votes in 2010.
Robin L. Harwood
The AFL season commenced last weekend and already Geelong has shown that they are going to be the powerhouse in 2009. Yet they do have flaws and if a team is able to put pressure on them, they seem to take a while to hit their stride. If the Cats are allowed to dominate early, the opposition finds it so hard claw back.
There were no real surprises in Round 1 and will Richmond recover from the hype and buildup prior to their match against Carlton. The Tigers were so woeful and Cousins did his hammy again and will be out for some months. I don't think they will recover either from the mauling from Geelong on Saturday night. Collingwood were disappointing for me and I don''t expect that Malthouse will last beyond this year and his contract runs out then. Doubtful if it is renewed.
Carlton certainly looks impressive and much improved. Melbourne will languish at the bottom of the ladder but Freo will get the wooden spoon IMHO.
The idea of a Gold Coast team in the AFL is ludicrous as Tasmania has more chances of doing better if they got a license. Yet the current economic climate isn't good at present for them either and the only possibility is for Tassie to continue sponsoring Hawthorn. It paid off in 2008! The idea of a separate team is a pipedream of Labor to get votes in 2010.
Robin L. Harwood
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