Newsletter No. 6: January 2001

FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS  1st  John Avery Lyell 
4th  Gerard Francis Robb 
8th  Susan Mary Wood 
9th  Lawrence Gerard Wood 
22nd  Gemma Louise Bellman 
23rd  Matthew Gerard Wood 
24th  Paul Victor White 
28th  Anne Maree Turnbull 
28th  Jessica Sarah Wood 

MARCH BIRTHDAYS  5th  Dorothy Turner 
6th  Mark Frederick Turnbull 
8th  Maigan Anne Lyell 
8th  Clayton John Lyell 
13th  Raymond Gordon Payne 
13th  Heath Avery Lyell 
14th  Pamela Dawn Wood 
14th  Allison Louise Wood 
17th  Jacob Jordan Wood 
20th  Amanda Louise Lyell 
28th  Patrica Mary Wood 
31st  Ricki Christian Woestyne 
31st  Joshua James Wood  Birthday Milestone: John Lyell is 70 in February 

FAMILY PROFILE: Mark Frederick Turnbull 

D.O.B.: 6/3/63 (a date Fred always forgets) 
Lives: Research, Victoria 
Occupation: Plumber (works for Melbourne Building Maintenance) first job was cleaning KFC Reservoir car park 
Wife: Pauline, Supermum and wonderful wife, was a primary school teacher & curriculum co-ordinator in a past life 
Hobbies: Playing guitar, renovating the house 
Interests: Music, football & family 
Children: 

• Patrick (4) barracks for the Magpies (but not for long) Enjoys helping me, loves building things and working with tools.
• Lachlan: (2) our water baby, will probably be a water diviner, if there is a teaspoon of water around he will find it. 
• Nicholas: (few months old) just getting to know him especially in the early hours of the morning, cute little bundle with mass of black hair. 

Favorite Entertainer: Billy Connelly, Brian May (Guitarist from Queen) 
Favorite CD: Eagles - When Hell Freezes Over 
Favorite Movie: The Party (with Peter Sellers), Birdy Num Num, Life of Brian 
Favorite TV Show: Wildlife Documentaries 
Favorite Holiday Destination: Daylesford 
Favorite Meal: The Crown Roast (by Pauline) 
Favorite Book: Ice Station by Matthew Reilly, Undone by Michael Kimball, The Runaway Jury by John Grisham 
Car You Drive: Nissan Serena 
Favorite person you would like to dine with: John Lennon 
Event you would like to do at the Olympics: Pole Vaulting (Is there a pole strong enough) 
Favorite Football team: Richmond 
Pets: I don't have any Pets but 2 dogs (Brachen- Golden Retriever & Scamp -small yappy thing) 1 cat- Sophie, 1 canary- Tinsel and 2 gold fish (who cares) live at our house 
What talent would you like to have: To be a songwriter 
 

HILDA DAIRE 
(told to Bernadette Camish in the 1970's for a school project)

Born in Shipley England 13/12/1898 one of 7 children Julia, Herbert (who had a twin brother George who died at birth), Joseph, Sybil, Marie and Eva, who died aged 3 years. Her parents were Edward Alexander Daire and Hannah (Thornton) Daire. 

Hilda went to the Sally Road Primary School and later to a Church of England school, St Paul's in Shipley, at the age of 12 she went to school half a day and worked half a day which was normal at this time. School was a pleasant time and the games played were; Hide & Seek, Shuttle Cock, Whip & Top, Skipping and Hopscotch. At school in winter they had a coal fire in the classroom and often after the snow fell their feet were wet and they had to take off their stockings and dry them in front of the fire, it was nice and warm in the school and all the books and pens were free, we could not take them home they were always left at school. On holidays they went for walks to Shipley Glen or on the Yorkshire Moor and sometimes to the parks on Sundays to watch the locals skating on the lake. 

Hilda's own account "We used to love Christmas night as we would hang our stockings up at the fireside and on Christmas day we all ran to our stockings, where there would be one small present, I remember once getting a small tin oven with little pans- an orange, a apple and a new penny, Mother would put on our window sill oranges, apples, nuts and holly. Friends came in for a piece of spice cake and cheese or a mince pie. (These times were called the 'happy months')" 

Normal Food in her childhood days:

• Breakfast: homemade bread, dripping, golden syrup, hot tea 
• Lunch; Mother would make a meat pie on baking day, sometimes with shin beef, liver and onion. She also cooked in the oven a "oven bottom cake" being a combination of the bits of dough left over from baking with lard to make a flat cake. 
• Tea: Currant tea cake, cheese, hot tea. Fish & chips were eaten on Friday, occasionally they had gray peas in gravy if there was any money left over. 

Hilda met George one day when she was walking with a girlfriend around Shipley. George first took her girlfriend home and then escorted Hilda to a spot near her home. It was sometime before she let him know where she lived. The romance progressed and after George returned from duty at sea they were married in 1921 at St Mary's and Walburgas Church Shipley, three months later the boarded a troop ship called the Orvita and headed for Australia. The trip took six weeks and the accommodation consisted of all the brides in sixth berth quarters with only one wash basin and the husbands were in dingy quarters where they had very little space. Each day on the boat they sat down to army style meals and most of the day was spent on the deck. 

They arrived in Melbourne in October with $200.00 and their luggage to start a new life in Australia. Some friends met them at the boat and took them to Elsternwick where they stayed for three weeks and by this time felt that they had to get out and find work. George & Hilda applied for a job at a sheep station at Redesdale near Bendigo- they arrived at the station and found that Hilda was to cook and be housekeeper while George was to be a jackaroo. The first meal that Hilda cooked was a disaster and when the leg of lamb was served up it was seen to be flyblown, George had little to do and was not allowed in the kitchen to see his wife at all. They left after four days intending to walk to the Redesdale Station, the landowner followed them and was very inhospitable- but in the end he took them and their luggage to the station. 

They found a place in South Yarra at $1.25 week for one room, they remained here until Eddie was born and then moved into a place in Abbotsford which was near where George worked at Yarra Falls (George worked here until he retired). They eventually saved enough money to buy a house at 64 Pine Street Reservoir where they lived until George died. Hilda was always homesick and yearned to return to England, which she called home, and after 38 years she and George had a trip back where they saw Eddie ordained and caught up with the relations who were still alive. 
 

The Bellman Children 

• Lesley: age 10 grade 5 has been involved with the Australian Girls Choir for 3 years and is also part of the school choir, she plays netball and is currently competing in Little Athletics, she is a chatterbox and is very social. 
• Gemma: age 8 grade 3 is also in the Australian Girls Choir and learns the piano as well, she competes in Little Athletics and will most likely do netball this coming winter. 
• Jake: age 7 grade 2 competes in Little Athletics and is a good sprinter, he loves music and is currently learning the piano, in the winter he does AusKick however he is keen to try tennis. 
• Megan: age 5 starts Prep this year, she has been doing an On Track Program for Little Athletics under 6, she is a chatterbox like her eldest sister and likes to be the centre of attention. 

WEB SITE

Don't forget to have a look at the WoodChips web site 
There are more photos on it this month and Rob has made some improvements to it. 
To send suggestions, information or photos, please e mail John Wood
 

QUOTATION OF THE MONTH
In this issue there is no quotation of the month rather a poem 

Joke of the month
(from Helen Bellman) 

A truck driver stopped at a diner and the waitress brought him a hamburger, a cup coffee and a pie, Before he could eat them, three young hoodlums on motor-cycles arrived. They grabbed his meal and finished it. The truck driver said nothing, got up, paid the cashier and left. One of the motor-cyclists said to the cashier. "Not much of a man is he?" "He is not much of a driver either," the cashier said ," He just ran his truck over 3 motor cycles." 

And another one:

Policeman to lady motorist."When I saw you coming around the bend, I said to myself 65 at least." 
Lady motorist. "I always look older in this hat." 
 

Overseas Travellers: 

No change as far as I know. Allison & Reg are still in New York, Amanda and Renae are still working in England. Is there anyone intending travelling this year?