The Blacksmith’s Daughter by Fay Berry 2013 © - Chapter 41 - 1957 10 07 - Fay Berry

The Blacksmith’s Daughter – Chapter 41

Towards the end of October 1957 it was the Sunday School picnic. In Christadelphia, there were certain events that were most important in a young person’s social life. One was the Sunday School picnic, another was the the prize giving night. These were most important events of the whole year. After that there were tea meetings, kitchen evenings, weddings, hikes, picnics and sports and beach outings. The Sunday School picnic was held at Ridge Park which was an ideal location for the many and varied activities that were crammed into this eventful day. I loved the sunday school picnics. I think this particular picnic was the best picnic I had ever been too. I was still unattached (not by my own choice however) so I still had the freedom to spend my time with whomsoever I chose. It was a lovely day.

Ron Hicks had left it to the picnic to dictate an article for the Young Folk’s magazine which had to be completed for publication in the next day or so. By leaving it until the picnic to dictate it to me this had put some pressure on me to get it done in time for printing.

Keith Noble was still unwell and quite a bit of my time was occupied in visiting him and trying to cheer him up. Visiting him in the Osmond Terrace hospital provided Jeff and me with the opportunity to spend some private time together, but it never seemed to bring things to any sort of resolution. To Jeff, I was more like “a disease” to him. I w as the “weakness of the flesh”personified. It was very demeaning to me and by rights and commonsense, I should have told him where he could take his “weakness” but by this time I was hopelessly in love with him and did not have the mental fortitude or clearness of vision to know when to walk away from him.

Then there were fittings for my all-important bridesmaid’s dress which I was to wear at my brother’s wedding in Sydney at the end of the year and there was a trip to Melbourne coming up for the young people to attend a Christadelphian rendition of the Messiah to be held in the Wilson’s Hall in Melbourne. I was not singing in the choir this year but happy to be a part of the audience and to visit with all my old friends from the Southport conference and from Sydney and Melbourne ecclesias who would all be attending this weekend.

Sunday School classes were continuing at Woodville and at the Rose Park class. We were studying the “Events Subsequent to Christ’s return” and the book of Colossians and the Life of Abraham at the Rose Park class.

Romances amongst my friends seemed to be constantly beginning or breaking up, and there always seemed to be someone wanting to talk to me about a failed romance or a new one just commencing. No-one really knew for certain that there was anything “going on” between Jeff and me because I did everything I could to conceal my feelings for Jeff. Mostly my name was linked with boys that I was not interested in, and I actually encouraged that so they wouldn’t notice what was actually happening between Jeff and me. I tried very hard to keep my feelings for Jeff to myself and rarely talked about him to anyone.

I felt pretty certain that Jan Randall would eventually end up with Fred Hackett because she was such lovely girl and he was very fond of her and absolutely over living alone. He had confided in me that he was in love with me but I had told him that there was no hope for him there. Because Fred had confided his feelings to me, I did tell him about Jeff, and he said that he reckoned that Jeff would “come to his senses, sooner or later.” I wish!

Then there was Jeff’s 21st birthday party. This turned out to be a very interesting evening for me. I was immensely interested in Jeff’s parents and brother Robbie and went out of my way to “woo” his Mum and Dad during the evening. I certainly didn’t win over his brother who seemed interested only in what gifts Jeff had received that he could commandeer. What I did notice was that the relationship between Jeff’s Mum and Dad didn’t look too happy. I wondered what was happening there?

DIARY ENTRIES

19571007 Letter to Barrie Spencer

19571011 Letter to Ken Niejalke

19571014 Saturday – This has been a day and a half. It was the Sunday School picnic and as is usual for Sunday School picnics, it was hectic. I had to work in the morning, though I left work at 11 o ‘clock. I rode home and changed into my sand shoes and rode my bike up to Ridge Park. When I arrived they were in the middle of a Softball game and from that I gathered that Ken Pascoe hadn’t forgotten to bring my bat with him. I joined in and they put me straight up to bat. I got out at third though. They asked me to pitch, but I handed that job over to Alan Cheek . I don’t trust my pitching ability because my pitch is not as reliable as it ought to be. It is a bit like my tennis serve, I either serve up an ace or the ball goes into the net – I’d rather be catcher. The limelight as usual was taken by Jeff who “organised” everyone . Then the bell went for lunch so that finished that Softball game.

Jeff took the bat and ball and went off with them. Brian Wigzell asked me if I’d like my bike moved to the shed – I liked. I never say “no” to being waited on. I was one of the servers, and we served just about everybody in double quick time, but contrary to usual, I didn’t eat much. Jeff and I met up occasionally, but we didn’t say much to each other either. After the meal, Des Manser suggested we play softball again so we went in search of Jeff to find where the bat was. We ran down to the creek together and from their up to the tennis courts and down again. By that time it was time for the meeting, so Des and I wandered over to where every one had gathered and sat down together up the back. A number of the older girls had gathered the little kids together and were playing nursery games with them to keep them out of the way whilst their parents were in the meeting. Des tapped my shoulder and pointed, and it was then that I realised why we hadn’t been able to find Jeff. He was sitting up on the back of the truck next to Keith Provis who was to be the speaker for the meeting. Jeff was obviously going to do the Bible reading from the back of the truck. The meeting commenced and Jeff did the reading and he read exceptionally well.

After the meeting I left Des and wandered off to watch the races with Rosalie Foster and Bob Martin. We sat down and watched for a while. Then I got tired of that and in the distance I could see my brother Graham walking with my brother Maynard and so I got up and walked over to them and asked Graham to go for a walk with me. It was so unusual for Graham to come to anything that I had to see that he enjoyed himself a bit. I walked around with him for a fair while and then we came back to the crowd again. Jeff was standing on a seat with Marg McLean when Graham and I came up. We talked to Des Chilton and Marlene Grosse for a while and then we went up closer to the goings-on, to watch the tug-of-war. Jeff and Marg walked up and we all stood together for a while. Marg told me that she had seen a photo of Barry and me from the Conference. She said that her boyfriend, Jim Mansfield from Sydney had taken it. Ron Hicks came up then and asked me if we could go and sit somewhere so that he could dictate the article for the magazine to me. I left Graham and got my notebook and went down into the valley with Ron. Ron began to dictate and I took it all down in shorthand. It was quite funny because all the young kids about the place kept stopping to see what we were doing. When we had finished, Ron and I went up the top again and met up with Jeff again. Jeff made some smart comment about “roving reporters.” I put my notebook back in the car then, and on the way back I met Ken Pascoe. I asked him if he had my bat and softball. He did – they were in the Pascoe’s car. He got them out and we had a bit of a hit for a while.

The bell went for the ice cream to be distributed, and so along with all the other kids, we tore up to join in the queue. John Wilson was in the line, so we all shoved in front of him and got our ice cream fairly quickly. Then we walked back and sat down on the ground with our backs up against a car. I pointed out the old silver mine and the chimney up on the hill in the foothills above us. I told them that when my brothers and I were young we had climbed up to the chimney and gone down through the mine underneath the chimney and when you looked up the chimney from underground you could see the stars, even though it was daytime. Ken was really interested in that and suggested we climb up their now and see if you could still go underground. He called over to Carol Mercer his latest “girl-craze” and asked her if she’d like to go. She didn’t, so we decided not to go either. Instead, Ken and I went down into the valley to play softball again. We took it in turns to pitch and then to bat. We had been playing for about 20 minutes when the Hollamby brothers appeared up the top of the hill with their movie cameras. They asked us to move down into a place where there was more sun. We did so and they took a movie of us tossing the ball back and forth to each other.

By this time it was lunch time and Ken had had enough of softball, so we gave it away. We put the bat and ball into the Pascoe ‘s car and then wandered up to where lunch was to be served. We both served for the kids meal and then we ate our own meal. Most of the food is supplied by Gordon Wauchope’s company, Balfour Wauchope. Bob Martin told me my tennis racquet was in the shed so I went to get it and wandered up to the tennis courts to see what was cooking there. I noticed Keith Noble sitting round the other side of the court so I went around and sat with him there. After a while I noticed that Bob Martin was sitting apart from the others. I asked him where Rosalie Foster was and he told me she’d gone for a walk. Bob’s face looked like a thundercloud. I asked him if he would like me to have a talk to Rosalie and find out what was up. He said, “Yes,” so I got him to mind my raquet, and then went in search of Rosalie. I found her shortly after and we decided to go for a walk around the block. I asked her whether it was worth going with Bob when all they seemed to do was have rows all the time. She said it was worth going with Bob and that I only see the worst side of things. Rosalie and Bob have both got rather dynamic personalities and I guess it’s only natural that they should have so many clashes.

We strolled up to the grounds again, but quickly moved off because the dinner dishes were in progress and we didn’t feel in the mood for washing dishes. We walked out onto the oval and lay down on the grass in the shade of a big gum tree and began to chat about things in general. Rosalie spoke about Keith, how that she had always been curious about him and what he was thinking in his long periods of silence. I commented that Keith was a very complex boy and Rosalie said “And so is Jeff Berry, for that matter, he’s another one.” She told me that she has always wanted to know what makes Jeff tick. We talked a bit about Jeff and Keith. I didn’t tell her that my wish to know “what makes Jeff tick” was greater than hers. She commented that she didn’t think Jeff would have the guts to go steady with a girl. I said, “I don’t know whether he wouldn’t have the guts to go with a girl, but one thing I do know and that is that he thinks that for him to go with a girl would be a “weakness” in him if he did.” “What a strange attitude?” said Rosalie. I thought of the time when Jeff looked at Rosalie and Bob and said to me, “Rosalie and Bob!” in a voice full of contempt. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Rosalie and Bob, it was just that he despise the fact that Bob and Rosalie were “going together,” as though they had both succumbed to the “weakness of the flesh.” “How are the mighty fallen,” he would say. Why, knowing this was how Jeff felt, did I still hope that Jeff would one day want to “go with me.” I sighed to myself, it was beyond me.

Just then Keith Noble walked by and asked us what we were doing sitting there. I called out “Eating grass, come and join us.” He just walked on and Rosalie and I continued talking. A minute later, Keith came back and sat down with us. Rosalie and Keith began to talk about last year’s picnic, and how they had spent the evening at the beach after the picnic and what a good idea it would be to do the same this year. Last year, apparently, Rosalie and Wendy and Jeff and Keith had walked to Brighton Beach from Glenelg. Jeff went with Wendy (a bit of a slap in the face for Rosalie who was keen on him at that time). I wasn’t with them. I was with Lewis and Bob Martin that night. That was the night when Bob waxed on and on so eloquently about how wonderful Rosalie was. Just then, I could see Jeff’s green cricket cap in the distance, so I decided I’d move off. I excused myself and left Rosalie and Keith to talk. I walked over to where the crowd were all standing and got talking with Brother Gates while Jeff was talking to Frank Russell. Frank and Jeff moved off over to Frank’s car and I began to talk to Brother Manser and then later I got into a discussion with Keith Noble’s parents. As usual, they were trying to matchmake me off to Keith, “Surely Keith should have some say in the matter?” I said.

Mum told me then that Jeff would be driving the Pascoe’s home and then going home from there. I decided that if he was doing that, then I’d go to the beach with the others. I went over to Lewis and told him I’d be going to the beach with him. Then I went back to Keith’s parents and found Dad talking to them. He said he was going to take them home. I decided that perhaps I would go home too. I walked over to my bike and on the way I passed Ken Pascoe and John Wilson. I asked them if they were going to the beach with the crowd after the picnic. They said they didn’t know anything about anyone going to the beach. After a bit of discussion they decided they would also go to the beach and they asked me to go with them and that we could all go together on our bikes. I told them I had arranged to go with Lew in his car and they told me to go and cancel that and come with them.

When I went to speak to Lew, Graham was there, and he didn’t like the idea of my riding my bike to Glenelg, but I said I was going to anyway. He suggested we go for a run around the oval and talk about it. When we arrived back, Jeff was outside Pascoe’s car. John Wilson and Ken called me over and Sis Pascoe told me that she and Sis Wilson didn’t want us to go to the beach together. I said it didn’t matter to me because I could go with Lew if I really wanted to go. Then Sis Pascoe suggested I come to her place to play table tennis with the boys and also the Lawrey twins who would be there. Ken said rather grumpily, “Who invited them!” Sister Pascoe glared at Ken and said, “I did, and you had better not be so rude.” Aunty Phyl has really spoiled Ken, I thought, and John’s not much better at times. John really wanted to go to the beach and he did his utmost to try and persuade Aunty Phyl to let us go. He threw his arms around her and kept saying, “Please Aunty Phyl, please Aunty Phyl.” She almost gave in but not quite. Then Aunty Grace called me over and said something about me trying to lead their boys astray. I told her it wasn’t me who was making all the fuss, it was Ken and and her darling son, so she should speak to them about it, not to me.

Eventually it was arranged under protest on the boys part, for us to have a table tennis evening at Pascoe’s. I didn’t know whether I should go to the Pascoe’s now or not, but it was too late to contact Lew and to go to the beach. As I rode out of the gate, I saw Jeff sitting in the boot of the Pascoe’s car putting on his shoes. I stopped and told him I had been invited to Pascoes and told him what had happened asked him whether he thought I should go or not. He told me that I might just as well come since everyone else would be there anyway. I decided I would. He asked me if they were going to have supper or not and when I told him that they were, he groaned and said that if they were, that was his early night gone west.

I rode home then and when I arrived Graham and I talked for a fair while. I took my time about getting ready to go to Pascoe’s, because I still wasn’t sure whether I wanted to go or not. At last after much “umming” and “ahing,” I decided I would go, but would not stay for long. I rode to Pascoe’s place and sat at the gate for a while and listened to the noise from inside, where they were all singing around the piano. Just as I was about to get off my bike and go in, I heard the door slam and John and Ken came out. I could hear them talking loudly and angrily. They didn’t sound too happy with things. I went down the side and into the shed and told them both off. I told them to keep their voices down and not to b so grumpy. Then Dawn came out intending to play table tennis with the boys. I said “Hello” to her and then went inside to see to Sister Pascoe. I was hesitating at the door when Ken came up behind me and put his arm around me and walked inside with me. When I went into the lounge, Aunty Grace said she hoped I had understood that she had only been teasing me at the picnic about “leading her boys astray.” She said that she was worried that I might have decided not to come because of it. (She was right, that is exactly how I felt and why I had almost decided not to come).

I sat and talked with Jeff for a while, but then Sister Pascoe tried to get Ken and John to come in and play the piano. Ken and John were still a bit cranky with their Mums and so were being very uncooperative and refusing to come inside. They were both blaming it all on the Lawrey twins being there as the reason for their mothers insisting they stay home and not go to the beach. Jeff went out to see what they were up to and came back and told us that Ken had started to paint the shed. Pain the shed? of all things! Trust Ken. He certainly needs a father to bring him to order but he doesn’t have one and Aunty Phyl lets him get away with murder. Aunty Grace went out then and managed to extract a compromise from them. It was agreed that we all go out and play games in the shed for half the evening and then come inside for the rest. We all trouped out. Jeff went down the end and played darts with Dawn and Glennis and I played table tennis with the boys. That’s how it remained all the evening. Jeff and I kept out distances. Ken and I played two games. He won one and I won the other and then of course he wanted to play the deciding third. However, Aunty Grace decided it was time we went inside. Ken kicked up a fuss. He is sooo spoiled. He tried to get me to stay and play with him, but I couldn’t very well because I had a duty towards sister Pascoe. By this time I was REALLY wishing I had stayed home. With the two boys playing up and Dawn and Glennis probably wondering what was up, I felt I would have been better of being at home.

I told Ken that I‘d play with him but not until after supper. He wasn’t too pleased about that, but gave in at last. We went in and Ken played the piano and we all sang. I didn’t know whether it was a conincidence but Jeff chose three songs one after the other to sing. “Thanks for the memory”, then “Baby face” and “He’s got eyes of blue.” It couldn’t have been a coincidence. I giggled to myself when I saw that Jeff was laughing at me. He knew that I knew what he was up to. Jeff kept with Dawn and Glennis the whole evening and I kept the boys company. It was really fun, though, and I did enjoy myself in the end, particularly as John and Ken began to loosen u a bit as the night went on. We had supper and then sat around talking for a while and then Ken and John disappeared again. The conversation came around to who Glennis came home with the other night (Gordon Turrner) and I made a joke about parents “quizzing” their children for information.

19571015 Letter to Ken Niejalke

19571015 Tuesday – I received a phone call from Mum about half way through the day. She told me there was a letter from Ken Niejalke there and would I like her to read it to me. I liked. Ken has arranged for Ken Morgan and a crowd of the other Melbourne-ites to meet us for lunch and then we are to go rowing on the Yarra (God willing) when I arrived home this evening, I got to work on the magazine but I couldn’t get much done because I had to go to the Abraham Class. I sat out in the back room tonight because Lewis Osborne had pinched my normal seat. After the meeting Frank Peden showed the Conference films to me. Most of them weren’t too bad but the one of Eric Mansfield and myself was terrible. Jeff didn’t stay to see the films. Jeff Berry doesn’t really care a fig about me. I wish I could return the compliment but I can’t seem to. Don’t I even have any pride left? I rang Phyl and told her I didn’t think I could get the magazine article finished because Ron Hicks had just given the remainder of it to me that afternoon and I hadn’t managed to type it back yet. She said it didn’t matter, but I felt awful about it. She told me that John had driven her up to the picnic and she had sat in the car and watched for a while. She told me that John had seen me going across the oval with some papers in my hand and he had guessed that Ron had got me to take down the article. He was quite mad about it being given to me to do so late.

19571016 Wednesday – I got up extra early this morning and went to work on the magazine. I got half way through the rough of it before the bosses came in. I worked on it again in the lunch hour and finished the rough and then I worked on it once more after work. Dad wanted to speak to me about the Copying Office so I stopped work for a while. He also wanted to know the latest developments on Jeff, but I didn’t tell him much. Then Max Goodwin rang up and told me he’d be coming out to get the magazine article from me so I got to work again and rushed the lot off. I finished it just as he arrived to get it. That’s a burden off my shoulders. I ‘ll ring Phyl up to morrow and tell her.

19571017 Thursday – Round and Round the mulberry bush! Things get “curiouser and curiouser. The Nobles came to our place for lunch today and I went home for lunch. They’re really funny people, completely open. They have taken a liking to me and are making it quite plain that they’d like me for their daughter-in-law. Poor Keith! I told them not to start their matchmaking and they told Mum in front of me that they guessed it had just been wishful thinking on their part. The Manser’s are pretty open and they’ve made it clear that they would like me for Des as well, but they’re not quite so open about it as Keith’s parents are. I rang Mum up at 3 o ‘clock and told her I was going to a fitting for my dress. She told me that after I had gone, Mr and Mrs Noble began discussing me even more openly. They told Mum that at first because I was so friendly, they thought that everything was just about “fixed” between Keith and I, but then when they began to meet more Christadelphians and found that they were all friendly, then they weren’t so sure. They told her that as far as Keith’ little brothers are concerned, I’m the only one they want for their sister-in-law. Isn’t it funny. I seem to be able to win the families over but not the boys. I guess that’s because I’m not keen on the boys and they’re not keen on me.

I had my fitting and the frock looks lovely. Afterward riding home I didn’t go the usual way and got a bit bushed because I couldn’t find a way to cross the Torrens river. Eventually, I did, and though I was going to see Keith, I rode past the hospital and went home and had a shower and changed my clothes and then rode back to the hospital. I went in and there sitting on Keith’s bed was Jeff. I felt like laughing out loud. Was he there because he expected me to come or was he there for no ulterior reason at all. I will never know with Jeff. I walked up, said hello and sat down on the other side of the bed. I asked Keith for the slides I had loaned him and reminded him of the nine pound he owed John. We all talked a lot and Jeff said he might go with Keith for his holiday to Kangaroo Island. He won’t be able to get the time off though because if they wouldn’t let him take time off for Uncle Perce then they wouldn’t let him take time off for Keith. We talked a bit about our forth-coming trip to Melbourne for the Messiah weekend. They asked me where I would be staying. There were general groans when I told them we were staying at the “Federal.” “Here we are expecting to get away from all the Adelaideites and having a good time in Melbourne and now you’ll be there too.” they said. “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I said.

They got talking about Keith’s trip again, and Jeff was calculating how much it would cost him. He worked it out that altogether, adding in Melbourne, it would come to about Ninety pound. He told Keith that he’d have to choose between the holiday and the engagement ring. I grinned, and advised him to spend it on the holiday. Keith of course wanted to know who the girl was, and of course, so did I. When the 8.30 Bell went, Jeff and I left Keith. I got my bike and we walked out of the grounds. Jeff said, “I intended to go to the library tonight, but I guess I won’t be going now.” I said, “What ‘s stopping you?” He grinned and said that it was too late for the library. For a while, it looked as though we might part company and just go home – but we didn’t. For a while, about half an hour, we stood in the middle of Osmond Terrace, talking a lot of nonsense. We just cracked corny jokes and generally wasted time. Every now and then Jeff would say “We make a couple of nice street ornaments, don’t we?” I was determined though, that it would not be me this time who made the suggestion that we go somewhere more private. When he said it the next time I said, “The idea would be for us both to go home.” He agreed, and told me I’d better go. I said, “Why don’t you go?” We both laughed. At last Jeff gave in and we began to walk to “somewhere more private.” He put his arm around my waist and we strolled along the street. We were passing near a wall in the shadow of a tree when Jeff suddenly stopped, pulled me close and kissed me. I felt like singing,”Here we are again.” My bike was leaning up against the two of us and I told him to dump it. He asked me, “Where,” and I told him “Over the wall for all I care!” If we achieved nothing else in the evening, we achieved this, and that is, that we both spoke more honestly with each other than we have before. Jeff told me that he keeps looking to see if I’m around at meetings, missing me if I’m not, and I told him that it is the same for me.

19571020 Sunday – It’s been kind of miserable today. I rode my bike to the meeting and sat with Mum, Dad, Rosalie Foster and Jan Randall. Bill Gurd spoke and spoke very well. After the meeting, I went out to help with washing the glasses. Jeff handed me an envelope and as I guessed, it was an invitation to a party at his place. It didn’t say that it was for him, or that it was his 21st. Evidently he doesn’t want presents. He’ll get them though. It also means that at long last I’ll get to see his parents. I gave Rowena’s letters to Brother Dangerfield as he had asked me to – he will return it next week. At Sunday School I sat in the second row from the front and Jeff sat in front of me. It’s always hard to realise when I see Jeff, that a short while ago we were so close. Now he seems once again so…unapproachable. When we are not alone together we both act as though we are just casual acquaintances. It really is odd. What is wrong with us both?

Frank Russell led the class today on the study of Colossians. It was a very good lesson. Afterward I sat on one side of Frank and Jeff on the other. We talked and joked a bit about how we mark our bibles. Uncle Perce told us that we could illustrate the study and we speculated on what sort of illustrations we would employ. Drawings of Uncle Perce with “Teacher is mad” was suggested by Jeff. I spoke to Eric Grogan afterward, but then I managed to round up the family, so that I could get into town in time to go to Lewis Osborne’s Place for dinner. We arrived just in time and I transferred into Lewis’ car. The Osborne’s live at Burnside in a large old house. I really liked it. Des and Brian Manser, Judy Vinall, Dianne Cridland and myself were the only ones invited. We all enjoyed ourselves. Brother Ward spoke at the night meeting. Jeff wasn’t there. I miss him when he’s not around. Even if I don’t speak to him, just the fact that he is there improves things tremendously for me. I sat next to Glennis Lawrey during the meeting. Afterward, Lewis Osborne, Des and Brian Manser and Judy Vinall and Dianne Cridland and myself went to the airport to watch the planes and have a cup of coffee. It would have been quite good, but a whole lot of the younger ones turned up and somehow I felt a bit out of place. They’re awfully young. Most of the younger ones are invited to Lew’s place on Saturday too. I wish I didn’t have to go but Lew would like me to go. I’m beginning to feel quite ancient and I‘m only 18! Oh. I wish so much that Jeff would stop fighting me and go with me.

19571020 Card from Keith Noble for Des 21st Birthday

19571022 Tuesday – I went to the Pubic Library after work and looked up a number of references on Colossae and consequently I arrived home late and drenched. Mum met me and told me I would pick this night to be late because Ken and Ian Wurfel had arrived. Funny, I wasn’t particularly excited – how things can change. Once I would have been delirious with happiness to have Ken and Ian to visit. I went inside and said “Hello” to them and sat down and we talked together. Ken is still as good looking as before but my heart didn’t do a flutter this time. The funny thing is, that I think his did? It seems to me that the best way to get someone to like you is not to like them! Mum said afterward that she thought he was casting a few sheep’s eyes at me. How things DO change. I went out and had some dinner and then left them to Graham and Mum and went into my room for a while. I returned again in about half an hour. Mum told me that Keith has got a girlfriend. Good on him. He’s the nicest of them all. They have three cars now, the Mercedes, a Volkswagen and a Holden Ute. Seems this farming business pays. At last Ian suggested that they go and we all stood up. Graham had evidently arranged to go for a drive with them and he went out with them. I was going to say goodbye at the door, but Ken opened it for me to come out. He seemed to be hesitating as though waiting for me to suggest that I come too or something. When I didn’t, he moved off at last, and we said “Goodbye.” A few years ago, and I’d have been broken-hearted if Graham had gone with them and not me.

19571027 Sunday – This morning it was a little overcast, but otherwise, the weather was quite warm. I wore my new white shoes, the white dress with the pink flowers and my white “flying saucer.” Nothing unusual in that, except that most of the others had winter things on, and in that context I stood out a little more than I would have liked. We were late and had to walk down the front while everyone watched. Brother Cookson was the speaker. After the meeting I went out and talked with Nancy King. Just as I was about to leave with Mum and Dad, Lewis Osborne called me over and asked me to come and have lunch with Fay Wigzell, Dean Pitt and himself. I agreed and as we were making arrangements Jeff came up while I was talking with the group of boys. I wonder how things appear from Jeff’s point of view? I wonder what he thinks about me. He is so ..inscrutable. He went off with Keith Noble. Lewis and I walked across the road and old Brother Nathan Cobbledick drove past. He drew up and said “My, you’re a swank!” I wondered what he was talking about at first but, but then I realised he was talking about what I was wearing. What an odd term, “Swank!” He said he liked my outfit. He left and then Maureen Dangerfield’s mother was talking to Lewis. She seemed to have heard all about the party at Lewis’ place and about me and the stocking. (sorry, in 2014, I have no idea what the “stocking” was about.) Lewis drove me up to his place and we then transferred into Dean’s car and then went up to Morialta Falls for lunch. It was a wonderful lunch and I was full when we finished. Dean drove us to Adelaide where we dropped Lew off. Ken Pascoe and John Wilson were walking up and I could tell they were noting that Lew and I were together. They take a great interest in the boys that take an interest in me. At least I’ve got them on my side as far as Jeff goes. Mum tells me that they think I should be the one for Jeff. Dean drove us to Sunday School then. When I walked up to the crowd, Charles, Beth and Mum had just arrived. Fred Hackett was standing there near his car and Mum was talking with Jeff. Fred said, “Hello beautiful.” and Jeff looked down his nose.

I went inside then and sat next to Rosalie Foster and Bob Martin and then from the other side of the hall all Jeff came in and seated himself next to me. I said, “You’ve got a cold, have you?” He said that it wasn’t a cold, it was hay fever. I grinned and asked him what he was allergic to. He grinned and said “Brunettes mainly.” I said that I could peroxide my hair if he liked, and he said, “Yes, blonde is definitely my weakness.” Frank Russell took the class and it was excellent. It was about Timothy and where that book fitted in with the book of Colossians. I couldn’t find my purse anywhere and consequently I had to borrow a pencil.

Afterward I sat next to Rosalie Foster again and once more Jeff made in our direction and sat next to me. I asked him if he’d seen my purse. He said “Purse? You mean HPM?” “No, idiot,” I said, my purse purse. Did it have much money in it.” I said, “Not much.” He grinned and said “Then you can have it back,” and he took it out of his brief case. Crazy character he is. What did he take it for I wondered? I guess I must have left it behind and he picked it up. I turned around during the hymn and there was Eric Grogan. He gave me a slow wink. I guess he may think I’m going with Jeff, seeing that he was sitting next to me. After the hymn as we sat down, Jeff said “What does it say in the Bible about “wearing pearls?” I turned up Timothy and pointed out the part about THE wearing of pearls and costly array.” Then he went off into a lengthy talk about big hats and pearls, bare arms etc being the modern counterpart of the things spoken of there. He said that in Timothy’s time, girls used to wear shrouds over their heads when praying. I asked him what he wanted me to do, wear a stocking. He grinned and went on imperturbably, building up a wonderful argument about why girls should not dress so…attractively. He finished up with “and tempting a man like that.” He laughed, and said “I should write an exhortation about that.” I stared at him solemnly and asked him who he would give such an exhortation to. He grinned wryly and said, “to myself.” Here we go again I thought. To him, I am the “temptress.”

Afterward we all went out in the back room to discuss what we would sing for the prize giving night. Jeff sat next to Rosalie Foster and in rather a loud voice, well, loud enough for me to hear anyway, he said that Rosalie was a good example to the girls here. Plain sensible clothes, not big hats etc. He looked around but allowed his eyes to rest on me for a minute. I licked my finger and made a “chalk mark” in the air. That ‘s another one to mark up on his jolly “war board.” He smiled smugly and continued his conversation with Rosalie. When we are in a crowd it always seems as though Jeff and I are carrying on a conversation that only we can hear or understand. It’s as if no-one else is in the room.

Geraldine Stokes can be very annoying at times. I think she needs to be a little quieter and less opinionated. Everyone was discussing what we were to sing for an item and Bob Martin suggested extracts from the Messiah. Geraldine quickly poo-hooed that idea and did so in a very loud voice. I watched Jeff. He was looking at Geraldine rather cynically and obviously didn’t like the way she was speaking. Geraldine is actually a very attractive girl but her loud speech and dogmatic nature doesn’t help her much. I left then and went home with Charles and Beth. I didn’t know what meeting to go to in the evening, but I guessed I’d go to hear John Martin at Cumberland. Somehow or other, I ended up by going to Adelaide though, to my shame, I thought I might see Jeff there. I should have gone to Cumberland because Jeff wasn’t at Adelaide and might have gone to Cumberland. I got talking to three girl visitors afterward. They said they would be coming again. The group that Des Manser is getting around with now are a younger mob. They seem to welcome me enough when I join their group. As there are not many around my age group now, I guess I’ll have to learn to get on with ones younger than myself a bit as well as thos older than me. Mum and Dad have a theory and that is that because I was born in 1939 at the start of the Second World War, all he men went off to war and there were not many babies born. It has meant that there are not many girls the same age of me. There are lots that are younger and older, but there is about four years gap so there are not many girls in my age group. That’s why I have to look in the age group above and below mine for friends. We went home at last. I wondered where Jeff had gone for the night meeting. Mum told me that he had sat next to Marg Watson at the morning meeting and everyone was saying that he is going with her. I doubt it. The competition I worry about with Jeff is not other girls, but Jeff himself. I can’t compete with him because he just doesn’t want to commit or be tied down. Nor did I for that matter, well, I until I met Jeff anyway.

19571027 Letter from Barry Spencer

19571029 Tuesday – Nancy King came to dinner this evening and she was as depressed as could be. Fred Hackett arrived after dinner and we all did our best to cheer Nancy up. Fred is so obviously keen on me. Poor Jan. I’d hate to think I was second best if a boy proposed to me. Fred will marry Jan like a rocket if she says “Yes,” when and if he asks her because he just can’t bear living alone. Yet he says he loves me. He knows it’s no use hanging around waiting for me because I could never marry him. I reckon it won’t be long before Jan and Fred get together. Oh, I forgot to write down what he said to me last night. We were standing in front of the Temple, talking and Jan was talking to a girl in the background. I asked him if he was getting himself in a mess again. He laughed and told me he was. He said that a man can’t live alone forever and he doesn’t want to board any more, so as far as he can see, the sooner he gets married the better. I said “to anyone I know?” He said “Well, I am very fond of Jan. I didn’t say that I thought fondness a very poor foundation for a marriage. I told him though that marriage is very permanent. He said that he understood that, but he said that just as soon as Jan said “Yes,” he’d marry her. She wouldn’t have to say it twice!! Then I would say there will be a wedding in the offing in the not-too-distant future if that is the way Fred is thinking.

Then we talked about me and Jeff. Fred told me that I should just go on the way I am going and I’d have Jeff in the end. I told him that I was not so sure but I hoped he was right. I moved away then because I could see that Jan was eyeing our litle tete – a -tete with displeasure. Dear Jan, she has nothing to worry about from me. This evening Bob Martin got me to do the resume so I sat in the seat that Jeff sat in last week. He came in the side door, poked his head around the door to see if there was a spare seat inside and then went and sat two rows behind me. Graeme Mansfield took the class again. He is a bit harder to take a resume from than Uncle Perce. Directly after the meeting, Jeff reached over and touched me on the shoulder and said, “Enjoy yourself writing the resume won’t you.” I made a face at him and he told me that he “Has got about six pages of the Colossians study for me to type.” Just like him to pile on the work. I asked him if he had enough matter on the first part about Colossae. He said that he had. I said, “Then you won’t need my six pages. He said if there was anything in my notes that were not in his he’d like to include them in his notes. I said that he had probably looked up the same dictionaries as me so I wouldn’t bother to given him the notes.

I went into the other room then and got talking to Brian Luke and Peter Weller. Then Fred Hackett came up and I sat on the chair in the corner. He came up and sat behind me and leaned his arm on my shoulder. Jeff came then, it must have appeared a cosy little scene to him, but it doesn’t make him jealous enough to do anything about it though.

19571101 Letter to Barrie Spencer

19571101 Letter from Deversons to Dad

19571104 – Jeff’s 21st birthday. I woke up twice in the night and each time I felt rotten. My nose was blocked, my head foggy and I was scared stiff I’d be ill for Jeff’s party. I got up and did an inhalation which didn’t help much, but I did sleep.

I went to work today, though I didn’t feel much like it, but strangely enough, my head began to clear as the day went on and by half past four, I didn’t feel too bad at all. I asked Mr Barrow if I could leave early and he let me go straight home. I got ready in double quick time and was just ready to go when one of dad’s cousins turned up at our door. She told Dad that I looked very pretty all dressed up for the party, but I could see her looking at my face noting that I wore no makeup. I left then and got on a bus that had just pulled up. I sat down the back. The conductor came down and took my fare and then went back up the front and stood near the bus driver. He began to carry on a very loud conversation with the bus driver. “Do you know what I like about girls without makeup? He said. Everything!” The bus driver was a new Australian and he said, Ya, ze ozer girls, they plaster it on like concrete,and zen you vonder if they have ze face under it at all or whether zay is wearing a mask.” After a bit more contemplation on the matter, the conductor said. “And when they grow old and fat, their faces are wrinkled like a rhino’s hide.” I found it hard to keep my “paintless face” straight. The bus I had caught was a Henley bus and I wondered what time I would get to Jeff’s place. I asked the boy sitting next to me the time and he told me it was 6 o ‘clock. I got off at stop 15 and walked from there to Jeff’s place so that I wouldn’t arrive too early. Just as I reached the corner of Layton Street, Fred Hackett’s car drew up beside me. Of course, I had to get in and ride up to Jeff’s house with him. It quite spoiled the effect because we were both now too early for my liking, also everyone will be still more sure that I’m going with Fred.

Jeff was standing out the front with Gordon Turner. I shook hands with them both, and we stayed there and talked for a while. Jeff was more alert than Gordon and had seen me get into the car with Fred. He asked me what stop I had got off at, 19? I told him 15, because I had been too early and had decided to walk some of the way. He laughed and said, “You didn’t did you?” then Fred piped up, “ You can’t beat this girl.” Jeff said rather dryly, “Not through want of trying.” We went in then and Jeff’s home is really lovely. It’s new . They’ve only been in it two years. The boys went in and were introduced to Jeff’s parents. I came in a minute or so later and Jeff introduced me. I said, “Hello” and went over to Jeff’s father and shook hands with him. Then I spoke to Jeff’s mother and reminded her that I had already spoken to her over the phone. She s aid, “Oh yes, on Saturday morning?” Then some more people began to arrive and I went into the bedroom with them and put my bag on the bed. Then I gave Jeff my present and we all went into the lounge. It was the Septuagint version of the Bible. I sat on a seat next to Fred and noticed Robbie, Jeff’s brother standing over the other side of he room. He’s very good looking, more good looking than Jeff, and Jeff is pretty good looking too. I looked over at Jeff’s father and he is just an older edition of Jeff. I like him. His mother looks nice too, though I could tell she is very highly strung, very thin and beautifully dressed.

Someone put on some records and everyone sat around and talked and discussed what record was to go on next. Robbie had gone into the room where the presents were and I decided to get a closer look at him. I went in and he was looking at all the presents. I started to look at the presents too. Robbie picked up a pink tie and said, “Pink…he’s got too much pink, I’ll be able to have that. “ Then he picked up a wallet and said, “He’s got a wallet. I’ll have that as well.” I laughted and we talked for a bit. Jeff could see me through the door. I wondered what he was thinking. He probably thought that I hadn’t taken much time to get to know his kid brother, I guess. Robbie had given Jeff and Encyclopedia for his birthday. Robbie and I were the only ones to give Jeff a book. Robbie disappeared off then and he only returned when his Dad had to give s speech.We went in to have dinner then. I sat down fairly near Jeff’s parents. Purely by chance, but it proved a good position because if gave me the opportunity to talk to them and get to know them a bit better. I didn’t eat anything much but Rob Stokes was sitting next to me and he made up for me not eatng very much. Jeff’s father gave a short speech and gave Jeff the key. It seemed rather funny to hear his father speaking about Jeff growing up – I’ve seen Jeff alone for so long and he’s such a clam about his background, t hat it is hard for me to get used to the fact that he even has parents, let alone having them talk about him.

His father finished up with something like this , “And although he ‘s our son and it might sound like boasting, but we think he’s not a bad product, and he’s a credit to his mother.” He put his arm around his wife and hugged her, but then she shrugged his arm away. Ouch! something not quite right there. Then Jeff had to give his return speech. He started off with few of the usual things then he said, “I didn’t choose my parents, but I doubt if I could have done a better job if I had.” He meant it too I think. You could tell that that at least he respected his parents, so that is good. However, things don’t seem “right” to me between his Mum and Dad though. There are so many things I don’t know about Jeff. He is like a clam when it comes to anything about the last 21 years of his life with his family. Jeff’s speech continued, “18 months ago I didn’t think I’d be celebrating my 21st as a Christadelphian but now, I feel I’m greatly blessed in that I am doing so.” Jeff is sincere. I must never doubt his sincerity any more, until he proves me wrong anyway.

We went into the lounge then and started playing records. Robbie disappeared then and did not return. I guess he would find our company boring after the high life he probably leads. We listened to records for a while and then Rob Hicks read Acts 13 and the evening commenced. We played games, mostly team ones and there were no partner games. Jeff’s idea I bet. In between games I got talking to Jeff’s father and mother again. I guess I went out of my way to so so, but I don’t think it was noticeable. I hope not anyway. There was one game, in which we were all given names of famous couples, like “Adam and Eve” etc. We then had to find our counterpart and act the part of that couple. There were seven couples and we had to guess who each couple were.

Fred and I were Romeo and Juliet. Fred of course thought that was easy enough to act. I pointed out that it was too easy and too common and that we’d have to make it different. I whispered to him and then we watched the others. Most of them were just the normal ones, though one couple did something a bit different and were quite good. Then it came our turn I grabbed up a stool, took off my shoes, placed the stool in the middle of the room and stood on it. Then Fred came in, gazed around, threw up his arms in rapture, then put his fingers in his mouth and let out a pearcing whistle. I lleaped off the stool and into his arms and he carried me bodily out of the room. Everyone roared laughing and started to call to Fred, “Come on Fred, you can put her down now. That’s enough, you’ve gone far enough, Fred.” Fred carried me right outside and into the back yard. He looked as though he didn’t want to put me down and relinquish his part as Romeo.

We sat down again and John Knowles called on Mr Berry to choose the best pair of actors. He thought for a minute and then said, No 7, Romeo and Juliet were the best. We thought so too..ahem. In between one of the games I went outside and got myself a drink and had a conversation again with Mrs Berry. Then it was tine for supper again. I joked around a bit with Fred, but it is hard to joke with Fred, he takes everything at face value, double meanings are too difficult for him. Jeff’s father, on the other hand picked up on everything I said and had a quiet little chuckle to himself every now and then. After supper I helped Mr and Mrs pack up the dishes. I told them they’d have to search me before I left to see that I didn’t take home some of their cups and saucers that I’d taken a fancy to. By the sink, they’ve got a servery from the kitchen into the lounge. When I leaned over to put a cup down I could see Mr Berry in the lounge on the other side of the servery. I said “The mirror’s not too good is it?” He laughed and said, “No, I’m sure I didn’t look as pretty as that earlier this evening.”

Ruth Ekins came out then and started to help with the dishes too and then Jeff came out and went to get some more towels. He called out to his mother, “which one’s shall I get, the glass towels or the tea-towels? “ His mother called back very sarcastically, “Now what do you think, we’ve only got tea towels – we don’t possess glass towels.” Then she laughed and said to me, “If I’d told him glass towels, he would have asked which ones they were.” “Men are hopeless,” she said. Then Jeff came out and started to wipe up and his mother asked him if he was trying to pretend he did the dishes every night. Poor Jeff, he was getting it in the neck tonight. I was glad too because without his parents at the ecclesia, he can pretend to be what ever he jolly well likes and no-one would know any better.” Afer the dishes were done we went back into the lounge to listen to records. They’ve got beautiful big white persian cat which came into the lounge and Jeff picked it up and it left hairs all over his shoulder. He loves that cat.

19571107 Letter from Jeff to Fay – I wish to thank you very much for the Septuagint Version that you gave me on the occasionn of my twenty first birthday. I had planned for some time to add it to my library but now I have it. It is a valuable addition and helpful indeed when comparing translations and versions.

I hope that you enjoyed the evening as much as I did. Your gift will always serve to remind me of a very happy day, full of kindness and good wishes.