The Blacksmith’s Daughter by Fay Berry 2013 © - Chapter 36 - 1957 06 18 - Fay Berry

The Blacksmith’s Daughter – Chapter 36

The Conference and the post-conference activities and my stay in Sydney were over and it was “back to earth” at home in Adelaide. At work, it was as if I had never been away except there seemed to be more work. Mr Barrow seemed to be thinking up new ways of presenting sales data and even wanted me to produce graphs for the Monthly Report.

At least there were some Kitchen Evenings to go to for light relief. Winter was here and it was raining, further depressing me a after being in sunny Queensland. I wrote and received letters and typed up notes and posted them off to list of interested parties. Brian Manser dropped in at work and he lightened my day with photos and talk of the Conference. The Conference had cost me and I had to settle down to a repayment regime which was going to take me 8 months to pay back what I owed. This meant that little luxuries like a coke here and there or a bought lunch were now out of the question.

Sunday School was always a bright spot in my week, except for my brother Charlie’s constant harassing of me for one thing or another. The subject chosen for next year’s Sunday School Class was going to be “the Life of Abraham” and that sounded as though it would be very interesting.

As much as Mr Barrow could be a pain, Mr Bill Briton-Jones was fun and such a kindly man. He would have made an ideal “Father Xmas” I thought.

Jeff Berry was driving me nuts. He seemed to delight in confusing me. I could never understand what he meant by the things he said and he always made me feel somehow “off balance.”

The office boy Bill Golley had shown an interest in the Bible so I arranged for Charlie to pick him up each Sunday and take him with us to Sunday School.

DIARY ENTRIES

19570618 Tuesday – What an awful day it has been, coming back to earth! Today I have been filing, three weeks of it! I miss everyone from the conference and awful lot. I’d give a lot to see Barry right now, or someone from up there in NSW or Qld. The day just seemed to drag by and Joan tells me that Mr Barrow has had another craze on figures and now each month we have another set to do. He’s also started keeping graphs as well. The report each week now has to have two strikes of 4 for each of the two pages of figures. The front page and the written part of the report, then four pages of figures, 16 copies of each page, then the new lot of figures and the graphs. This will all have to be done within two days plus all our other work. I think I will be a street cleaner and give up this crazy job.

I met Bill Gurd outside the News today and he asked me if I was going to the Kitchen evening for David Wauchope. I didn’t even know there was a kitchen evening for David Wauchope. I rang up Mum but she couldn’t help me. Seems I’m not invited because I have been away for so long. At 6.30 pm Maynard let me know that I was invited so then started a mad rush to get ready to go. Maynard said he’d take me so that made things a bit easier. There weren’t many Young People there, mainly older ones, but then Jeff Berry and Keith Noble arrived and a few others so it was all right. John Knowles and I came second in the game “Under the arches” and I got killed, almost. Jeff just sat through it in his usual lofty way, depriving all his ardent admirers of the sheer delight of having him as their partner for one of the games. Wow, what sarcasm, but he makes me so mad.

It seems that conference is now stale news here in Adelaide. Trust my luck, because it is all so fresh in my mind and I am dying to see all the photos that everyone took. Afterward Jeff asked me what were my main thoughts about the Conference. I told him that I had loved everything about it. That it was very social, that I had met so many lovely people. Then we had this weird conversation which is not worth repeating. He says things and then I misunderstand him and then he says something else and I have no idea what he is talking about. He is very complex. Then he said something and I can’t really remember what it was now, but I just know how I felt. I said to him, “You really do kid yourself.” And I walked off because he makes me so mad. Every conversation I ever have with Jeff disturbs me and makes me feel upset.

19570619 Wednesday – Oh for sunny Queensland! The drought has broken in Adelaide and it rained all today. It was in keeping with my mood anyway. The whole day I’ve been typing numbers and they’re still not finished and I’m getting worried about my diary because I just can’t remember a lot of what happened while I was away and it seems as though I won’t be able to get my diary up to date. I’ve been keeping away from Bob W and I doubt if anything will happen now in that direction. The Conference was just what I needed to break away from him and now I’ve got new interests, and Bob doesn’t figure in them. Mr Barrow’s been roaring around lke lion with toothache as usual. I pity his poor wife! Two of the boys have got the sack and a new boy has been put on. Billy is still with us, so I take it he hasn’t been up to any mischief which is a relief.

This evening I couldn’t settle down to anything. After the dishes were done I put some “jumbo” on my shoes then typed up my diary for a while. Then Dad came in and we began discussing the proposed Logos wrapping in the O’Connor abode. From there we discussed Charles and Beth’s marriage and how Dad felt about it. He says that he can’t study properly or anything like that but he hoped he might find a place in the kingdom because of the opportunity he has given his sons and daughter to study and do work in the ecclesia. Dad’s got a real complex I reckon. Just because he didn’t have an education he feels like he “doesn’t know anything” and yet he would have to be the cleverest man I know. What’s mainly bothering Dad is that he simply worships Charlie and wanted him to live in Adelaide and help Perce. He is very unhappy about Charlie going to Sydney. Charlie might be very clever, particularly at things to do with the Bible, but he is a real pain in the neck to live with sometimes. Anyway, Dad sort of cheered up when he thought that he still had his daughter with him. Boy, that put’s a lot of responsibility on me. What if I want to go interstate to live? After dad wen out I did a little bit of study done, but then I was so tired I went to bed.

19570620 Letter from Barry Spencer – Barrie wrote me a letter and asked me to keep all the letters he writes me so that he can read them at some time in the future.

19570620 Thursday -I worked like mad this morning and got all my work up to date. The figures are finished at last and my tear sheets, feature files, filing is up to date and am I glad. I am immune to Bob now, which is rather a relief. Now I’ll be able to write to Brother and Sister Bailey and tell them that with their advice and help to me it is now all over. Charles is still down with the ‘flu. He looks so sick. His face is all puffed up and his eyes have red rings around them. It’s his own fault though because he will stay up so late. He’s a natural to catch every thing that is going round. I have long list of letters I have to write: Letters to: Barry Spencer, Jimmy Green, Lyn Spencer, Lawrie Leadbeater, Stan and Sheila Bailey, Bro & Sis Deverson, Eric Mansfield, Billy Ryall, Ken Niejalke.

19570621 Friday – Today went just as normal except that Bob W. asked me if the Conference had shaken me up or something because I seemed awfully subdued since I had got back. Mrs Quigley made he same comment. She said that she hasn’t seen me smile since I came back. Well, I’ve been too busy thinking about the Conference. There is so much rushing around in my head that I am having enough trouble concentrating on work, let lone resuming my “life in the Advertising Department.” I just haven’t stopped thinking about the conference ever since I arrived home. My whole day now seems to be striving to get work done so that I can spend time on my own work, writing up my diary and studying. I didn’t get an opportunity to do any work during working hours today, but at least I finished my work so that I should be able to spend most of Saturday doing my own work, at least I hope I can. Usually though, there seems to be a crop of things that arrive on a Saturday morning for me to do. Here’s hoping anyway.

Brian Manser came in this afternoon and I asked him if he had got over the onference. He said that he had, just about, but I said that I hadn’t. He asked me when I would see “mine” again. He didn’t mention Barry’s name because there were too many salesmen with their ears pricked up listening to all we said. I told him I would see “mine” (Barrie Spencer) in November, God Willing and he said he would see “his” at the Messiah in Melbourne. This evening after work I talked to Stan Dixon for a while. He was very curious about the Conference and said he had heard something about me getting a boyfriend there. He hadn’t heard anything of the sort of course because I hadn’t told anyone about Barry. Stan is still very moody and jealous. Even though I haven’t said anything to him about Barry he probably could guess that there would have been a boy “up there somewhere.”

This evening I started to check up on my accounts and see how much I owe. Wow! Did it mount up. All together I owe one hundred and twenty four pounds four shillings and five pence. If I pay four pound per week back I should pay it off in 8 months. I am going to be so broke for the next 8 months, but it was worth it. Over the dishes this evening, Graham started to talk to me about the “Gay’s Arcade feature” to be in the News shortly. He said that the people in the Arcade were not very satisfied with Mr Briton-Jones efforts. After a lot of talk about it, Graham said that if I told one of the better salesmen about it, he thought we could improve the feature considerably. I told him that Bob W. was one of the best salesmen there. Trouble is what I can’t tell Graham is that the “Gays Arcade Feature” is just one of many features in The News with not enough money being spent by the Arcade to make it worthwhile putting much more into the feature. Of course, to the people in the Arcade (who of course are not prepared to spend more than they have) it is of the utmost importance that the feature be the best it can be. The simple fact of the matter is that “you get what you pay for.” There is a brother in the Arcade though who is going broke through lack of business and if the feature turned out to be good, it might do his business some good. I might speak to Bob about it and see if more can be done.

I did the readings out loud tonight while Mum was doing the ironing so she could listen and still keep working. I read some of Elpis Israel and then typed my diary. I read some of what I have written to Mum. She loves hearing about all my escapades. It was 11 o’clock before I went to bed.

19570622 Saturday -This morning I had to work but as I had got all my work done yesterday there was little to do. Saturday’s are usually quiet for me. I spent most of the morning typing up my diary. It looks as though I may get it typed up before my memory runs out. I went home for lunch. Most unusual for me on a Saturday. Then I headed for the Temple and table tennis. I was early for a change so I went up to the top room and read Elpis Israel for a while. By the time I had read a chapter some others had arrived so I helped move the chairs back and set the tables up. When everyone eventually arrived we had a game of “Keep the ball away” behind the hall and after we were all exhausted playing that, we all sat around in the kitchen and discussed the Conference. Memories floated around. I told tales about Des, and he told tales about me (none of them true, of course). Even if they were true he exaggerated so much that they hardly resembled the facts, but it kept everyone amused. I also brought the memories flooding back and I longed to be back in Qld.

Neither Jeff Berry nor Keith Noble were at table tennis. Brian Manser had brought some slides along and I went up with him into the top room to look at them. There was only one photo of Barry and me and that wasn’t a very good one. I intended going to SPL this evening but I was thoroughly exhausted so I stayed home.

19570623 Sunday – It felt rather funny going to the morning meeting in Adelaide today after meeting in Sydney for three weeks. Bro Malcolm Wauchope gave the exhort. After the meeting I went around the back and helped with wiping the glasses. I asked Keith Noble if he had missed me. He said he had missed me terribly, with the emphasis on the “terribly.” I told him that I was sorry to say that I hadn’t missed him at all. We laughed and talked for a while and once again, stories and fragments of stories of the Conference floated around. I wonder how long it will be before we all stop talking about it. Everyone we met was full of curiosity about the Conference and it seemed they’d heard plenty of gossip about it and seen plenty of incriminating photos as well. At Sunday School this afternoon, Rosalie Foster said she had been hearing tales too. She said she had been told by some of the girls who had been to the Conference that “even though good looking boys had been very scarce at the conference, you didn’t seem to be lacking in them.” She had a look at my photos afterward and said that she thought Barrie was one of the best looking boys there. I thought so too, of course, but then I looked the photos of Barry again and tried to think why it was that we just hadn’t seemed to “click.” I told Bro Wigzell that Granville and Lakemba meetings send their greetings and he announced it from the platform.

While we were away, our Sunday School class had finished the subject they had been dealing with and now were going through it again with various members of the class leading. It was Arnold Cheek’s turn today. He hadn’t gone far though before Jeff Berry started a debate with Uncle Perce. He and Arnold took the stance for the existence of an immortal soul and that your immortal soul goes to heaven when you die. Perce addressed his “two learned friends,” and set about demolishing their arguments. But Jeff and Charlie weren’t easily pinned down and they jumped with great alacrity from one point to another, endeavouring to travel so fast that Perce didn’t have time to demolish their argument before they switched to a new angle. Even then, Uncle Perce gave them such a beating. When the bell went HPM announced that the debate “was adjourned to another more (in)auspicious time.” So much for Arnold Cheek’s carefully prepared lesson. He didn’t mind though because it had been such fun. Oh, I forgot, on the way to Sunday School Charlie got down as far as Joe Myren’s place and pulled up suddenly. He had forgotten to pick up the two Richardson children that we usually take to Sunday School. I made the mistake of commenting that I had remembered them but just took it for granted that he knew what he was doing. Charlie went mad at me for not reminding him. Bother him, I can never win with him. If I had said, “What about the Richardson children?” he would have said, “I know what I am doing, we don’t have to pick them up today.” He would say this so superciliously, and that’s why I don’t question him or remind him of anything if I can help it. After the kids had been picked up we went to pick up Jeff. Charles and Jeff Berry are certainly hitting it off. Jeff got in the back and we drove on. After Sunday School Charlie wanted to leave in a hurry because he and Beth had been invited out to Arnold Cheek’s place for dinner. We dropped Jeff Berry off and then drove on past our place. I was talking to Beth when we did and once again, I was leaving it to Charlie to do whatever he wanted to d. We had gone a short way on when he went mad at me again because he had forgotten to tell me to get out at our place. He’s getting on my nerves. Why should I be the one with the memory! I’m getting so sick of him grouching at me. I think I’ll go by bus in future, there’s no enjoyment in going with him. If he would let me be his “memory” I’d be his memory, but if I took that role, I would be being told off all the time more than I am now. He is a grumpy grouch and I do not know what Beth sees in him.

I didn’t know what meeting to go to tonight but Dad made up my mind for me because he wanted to go to Adelaide because Graham had told him he would be there with some girl or other. Jeff was at the meeting. Somehow or other he always seems to be at whatever meeting I choose to go to. We must have the same taste for speakers or something. Graham was there with the girl from Tasmania that he has told me about. I spoke to her for a while and she seems all right. After the meeting some of the girls began showing photos again. I didn’t see them all worst luck. There was one photo I really wanted to see. One of the girls said there was one of me coming down the sand hills, just a flurry of legs and arms and skirt and I didn’t get to see it. Everyone else seems to have seen it and they talk about it but I never seem to get to see it.

I talked with Keith Noble and Lew Osborne for some time after. Ron Hicks was talking with a group and he saw me and I waved to him and almost forgot where I was and yelled “I’m lonely,” the Conference catch cry. Dad came and dragged me off eventually and not before time because I was tired out. Marilyn Ide is coming to Sunday School at Woodville for good now and she is not going with Fred Hackett any more.

19570624 – Letter to Barry Spencer.

19570625 Letter to Jimmy Green

19570625 Tuesday – It was my turn to do the working out of the report today. I hate that job! My arithmetic is so bad and I have to check everything twice if not three times. I started a letter to Jimmy Green in my lunch hour, and thinking of him I suddenly remembered the Daniel notes he had given me. I couldn’t think what I had done with them. I rang Mum and asked her to look in my room. She couldn’t find them and I had a nasty feeling that I had left them somewhere in Sydney. When I arrived home after work I looked everywhere for them but couldn’t find them. I think I left them in Barrie’s brief case when I came home from the Daniel Class. It was Eakin’s “ Rose Park” class tonight and I wore my new green dress and the black shoes I bought in Sydney. In Sydney no one would take much notice of them, except to say that the looked nice, but in Adelaide, they looked ultra-modern and I felt very self-conscious wearing them. I put my books on my usual seat and as usual, Lew came up a bit later and put his books next to mine. We seem to have been doing this little dance forever and he simply won’t take the hint. In fact I have told him straight out that I don’t want to sit next to him all the time, but still he does it, like clock work. When I came back in the room I looked him straight in the eyes and picked up my books and sat in a different seat. He looked a bit hurt and then I felt bad, but how else can I get the point across? I sat up the back next to Charlie at first and then Roma called me down to the seat next to her.

Margaret Hosking wrote the Resume but as she wasn’t there I had to read it. Cathy Cobbledick was sitting in front of me and I wondered whether she would notice my shoes and give me a little lecture about following fashion. She probably won’t even notice. It’s just because I am aware that the heels are very high, higher than I usually wear that’s for sure. There was quite a bit of discussion at first about what subject we should have for the next class. Uncle Perce suggested “The Life and Works of Abraham” but others suggested “Revelation.” John Martin was there and he said he had come on the rumor that the study of Abraham was going to be the subject for the year because he had heard much about it from the members of the Woodville Abraham class, and he would love to study it. After a lot of discussion it was decided that Abraham it would be. I’m glad. I’ll try to make proper study of it this time. After supper we all gathered into the lounge and they showed some slides, slides of the conference of course, what else? They were so good and they brought back so many memories. There was one of Barry Stretton and Wendy Jolly said something to Jeff about him being a real “bodgie.” Jeff said, “You can tell by his clothes.” I got a bit angry and told them that Barry is a really decent bloke and one of the best and strongest young people in the truth at Lakemba. I am sure I sounded a bit heated and quite angry, because Jeff looked at me curiously and said, “My you’re standing up for him all right aren’t you? I think you must know him rather well.” I bet he thinks Barry Stretton is the Barry everyone is connecting with my name. “Well, it’s not, Jeff Berry, put that in your pipe and smoke it” is what I wanted to say but I just glared at him and said nothing.

The projector broke down before they could show all the slides but just before it did break down, they showed one of the group photo, the one where I was sitting between Tut and Barry. Phyl Matthews said, “Look at Fay, sitting in the middle of all the boys. She looks so serious.” Then Jeff said, “Doesn’t she and she’s got that boy’s arm around her. Somethings going on there I’d say.” I do think Mr Jeff Berry is getting curious. Let him! Afterward Jeff came up and asked me in a joking secretive sort of tone, “Who is he Fay? Does your father know?” I told him that I had my photo taken with dozens of boys so my parents have nothing to be concerned about. I asked Ruth when Jimmy Green’s films were coming over. She said she didn’t know. I suggested that whenever they were being shown a notice should be sent out, “Parents not invited.” Brian Manser heard what I said and he said, “Yes, you’d better see that your parents aren’t there Fay,” and then Jeff said, “See, what did I tell you?” I went home from the meeting feeling quite disgruntled and anxious. I hoped there were not too many surprises when the photos were shown. It was not that there was anything wrong with the photos, I had seen a lot of them and there was nothing wrong with them. What did bother me was that because Jimmy had a crush on me during the Conference, he had followed me around with that cursed camera of his and so I am in so many slides, that’s what is the problem for me. Ah well, such is life. I have a feeling Jeff Berry will be there when the films of the conference are shown unless I can think of a way to get him (and my parents) to stay away.

19570625 – Letter to Jimmy Green (asking him to edit me out of at least some of his photos)

19570626 – Letter to the Baileys in Qld.

19570626 Wednesday – I went to bed late again and then Beth and I talked until it was really late. I’ll be so tired tomorrow.

19570627 Thursday – Today I managed to get some of my own work done. I cleared the files this morning and was I glad to get that job out of the way. I think everything is up to date. I like keeping my work right up to date. I wrote up my notes on the Abraham Class and even if I do say so myself, they’re quite good notes. I typed half a dozen copies of them for sending interstate. Hope I can get Eric Mansfield’s address soon. I even typed a letter to Rowena Ricketts, the girl Alan Eyre wanted me to write to in Jamaica and I actually posted it! Things are looking up. This evening I finished my letter to the Bailey’s. It was three pages of typing by the time I finished it, and with the Abraham notes and those on the “Marriage of the Lamb” it was 8 pages in all.

19570628 Friday – I got another day or so written up in my diary today, should be finished in another few weeks, that is, if my memory holds out. I really can’t understand how my memory has done so well up to date. Once again I rushed through my work and got it all done before the morning was over and then settled down to my own work. Mr Briton Jones never minds me doing my own work if I have really finished all my “work, work.” The only thing he specifies is that I do work on my typewriter, he doesn’t want me reading a book or anything because that would not look good if any clients come in. Suits me fine, because that’s exactly what I like doing being able to type my diary up at work in my “spare” time. Bill Briton Jones is such a lovely man. He has a twin Brother, Bob Briton Jones who is one of the salesmen in the sales office. Bill is short and a little bit “dumpy” he is slightly balding and has a moustache and twinkly eyes. He could easily dress up as Father Xmas and would really suit the part. He is kindly and has a great sense of humor and uses it often, particularly at my expense. I like working for him much better than I did working for Jack Risely. Jack was great but he didn’t have a sense of humor really. Bob Briton-Jones, Bill Briton -Jones is nothing like Bill. It is hard to believe they are twins. I have been very lucky with the men who are in the sales office. They are really all extremely nice. Everything is quite normal between me and David S. since the “blockroom” affair. He is still very lovely and I like him a lot. It was really a sort of aberration I think. Of course, then there’s Bob. W. I don’t think he can understand what has happened with me since I have come back from the conference. For a while he kept coming into my office as before and putting his hand on my shoulder and stroking my back. The last time he did it I practically snarled at him and he has been very quiet and thoughtful since. He still attracts me, enormously, but after the conversations I had with the Baileys at the Conference I took their advice and have made a concerted effort to cut off the relationship between Bob and myself, abruptly, only I have given no explanation to Bob. I don’t know what to say for one thing, and don’t know what the consequences would be if I did say something, so I just say nothing and keep out of his way as much as possible.

If I am honest with myself, one of the reasons I am doing so much study lately is to keep up with Jeff Berry, but it is pretty hard because he is such a brain. Still, I am not exactly dumb myself and if I keep studying, maybe even my IQ may improve. One can only hope. This evening I read the parts of my diary that I wrote during the day to Mum. Just as soon as I finish writing up my diary, I must spend an evening at the Harris’s place and read it to them. They said they wanted to hear about the Conference when I got back. Even though it is Friday I am broke already. I gave Mum seven pound, two pound board and five pound towards paying off my $130 worth of debt. 16/- in my special account and 10/- to Stan in the Stationery Department for paper for my diary, and 5/- for my hair cut tomorrow. That doesn’t leave me anything to spend. Oh well, it means I am spending more time on “the Truth” because at morning tea time, I go up and sit by myself and read Elpis Israel because I can’t bear to sit with the others and not buy anything to eat. The same happens at lunch time. I just stay in and type and don’t go to the Canteen for my lunch.

19570629 Saturday – This morning it was my turn to go out to work as a volunteer at the rest home so after I had had my hair cut I went via my bike to Bethsalem. I became a “maid” all morning; made beds, swept floors and carpets, did dishes etc. In between listening to all the ills of the old ladies there. The ladies who are not Sisters were so willing to tell me all the faults of all the other women there. Truly, I’d hate to ever live there when I get old, if If I get old. I went to the Manser’s afterward then proceeded on to table tennis. I had a game with Des Manser and he beat me 21-19, 1921, 24-22. Then I got my books from my bike and went into the main hall and sat on the table on the stage and started reading Elpis Israel. I had the big bible on the stand and was using it when Keith Noble and John Knowles came in. They asked me if I was using the Bible, and I told them I was, but they could have it if they needed it. Evidently Keith was to read at Young Folks tonight and wanted to practice. They went into the men’s cloakroom for John to coach him. I stayed reading for fair while and when I did go out again, Max Kennett and Des were in the middle of a discussion, about the Conference, of course. I joined in and soon I was borrowing some of Max’s negatives to get printed for me to have some copies of his photos. If I keep doing that I should get a good collection of photos.

At home this evening I washed my hair and in a lazy way got ready for Young Folks. I thought Beth and Charles were going and didn’t hurry because they weren’t hurrying and then it dawned on me that it was late and they weren’t going. I threw my clothes on and got on my bike and rode like mad to the Temple. I was on time luckily. It was a very good evening with two essayists, Elaine Luke and Joan Wauchope and two speakers, Greg Denholm and David Russell and Keith Noble read. Keith did a good job – looks like John’s coaching worked well. After the meeting everyone was passing around photos and I borrowed negatives, There were some photos of Malcolm Kirkwood and a few of the girls wanted copies of those. Seems he was quite popular.

Marilyn Ide was there this evening and I think Jeff Berry took her home afterward.

19570630 Sunday – We were half an hour early for the meeting today which is most unusual. I was looking in the Library cupboard when some Brother, I haven’t a clue who he was, came up and was looking in the library cupboard too. We got into a discussion about the merits or otherwise of the revised Eureka and the Revised Standard version of the Bible. We talked for some time. Wish I knew who he was. He had a moustache anyway. Dad and Mum and I went in and sat in our usual seats. Then the boys all started to arrive and filled up the seats next to me. Colin Provis sat next to me. Ern Wilson spoke this morning. He gets more interesting to listen to each time I hear him. After the morning meeting I got talking to old Brother Hurn and we talked for ages. We talked mainly about the brother in Egypt who was arrested on a spying charge and on various other brethren who had been arrested because of the things they were teaching. Brother Hurn told me that Brother Hicks had written to the brother in Egypt so I told him I’d go and ask what was the outcome of his letter. Just as I was talking with Brother Hicks, Jeff Berry and Keith Noble advanced upon me and just stood there listening. They put me off my train of thought and I forgot what I had been talking about. I could have throttled Jeff. Then after that I was walking up the aisle with Jeff and Keith, and Jeff said, “Did you have a guilty conscience back there?” I didn’t know what to say so I said, “And if I did?” Oh, he makes me so mad. He always manages to catch me off guard. It turned out that the reason Jeff and Keith were hanging around me was they wanted to know if there would be room in the car for Keith as well as Jeff this afternoon. I said, “Yes.” Then I went and spoke to Brother Hicks again to finish our conversation that Jeff and Keith had interrupted. I asked him if he’d let me know when he received an answer to his letter. He said that he would. Then I went home. I was still angry at myself about Jeff.

After lunch, I did some study, then at about half past, Charlie came roaring in and said we’d be late. We picked up the Richardson children first and then went to pick up Jeff and Keith. When we arrived at the Corner of South Terrace and King William Street, Jeff was standing there waiting and he pointedly looked at his watch. I told him that his watch was wrong. He gave me that “Jeff Berry look” and showed me his watch to prove that his watch was “right” and it was we who were “wrong. “. We arrived at Sunday School about 5 minutes late and they were just singing the hymn. We all walked in with the Mansfield’s in hot pursuit. As usual, when we are late, they are always late as well. When Jeff sat down I leaned over and said to him, “What is your excuse for being late Mr Berry?” He said, “Well, it’s like this…” and grinned at me. I sat at the back of the room for Sunday School next to Sis Mansfield. Kieth sat in front of me and next to him was Fred Hackett. I said, “Well look who’s here, haven’t seen you since pussy was a kitten.” We shook hands and Fred made some bright remark. Keith looked rather surprised that we knew each other. Fred wasn’t sitting with Maralyn Ide so I assume he’s not going with her. I wonder what has happened. I remembered the time when he first came along and was chasing me at the Cobbledick picnic at Belair. He had been really showing off, doing somersaults and hanging from tree branches. He is kind of like an overgrown puppy. It looks as though he intends to keep coming to Sunday School ,anyway I hope so.

After Sunday School I asked Uncle Perce about my Eureka copies and once again received the reply,” They are still coming.” Then I asked him for some copies of the “Names and Titles” and told him not to forget them. He said he wouldn’t but knowing him I asked his wife to remind him. She said she would. Then Charlie gathered us all up and we started for home. Just before we did, I told Jeff that there was something I wanted to ask him about the resume and told him I’d look it up when I got home. As I was climbing into the car, he yelled out, “It’s good to see that you’ve been reading them.” I didn’t know how to take that so I ignored it. When we stopped to let Jeff get out he came to the window and I asked him where he was going this evening. He told me to Adelaide. I told him I would be going to Cumberand. He said that as far as he knew he’d be going to Adelaide. Bill Gurd was speaking at Cumberland on “The Revelation, it’s purpose in God’s plan.” He was very good. Before the meeting I talked to Brian Wigzell and he said, “Why don’t you come to Cumberland more often,” and I replied that I go to Cumberland when there’s a good speaker on, or a better one than anywhere else. He said, I should tell Bill Gurd that, he ‘d be complimented.” Bill came up then, so I told him what I had said and just as he was taking a bow, I told him that you never know, I could be here because he may come under the category of being “the best of a bad job.” He glared at me (laughingly)

There was a letter on the noticeboard from John Carter about the reconciliation in England. I asked Bill if I could take it home and type some copies and then return it to him. He said “Yes,” so I took it down. Then I got the latest “Herald of the coming Age,” and ordered some more “names and titles” and “God manifestation” notes. After the meeting I spoke to Bill again and asked if I could have his preparation notes for his lecture. He said I could so I took them. They won’t have any notes left if I stay here long. I spoke to Brian again afterwards then we left for home. I was tired out when I arrived home but I typed out the notes so I can send the original back to Bill before Tuesday.

19570630 Letter from Barry Spencer.

19570701 Letter to Bruce Philp

19570701 Monday – This morning I was tired after talking to Beth for so long last night about the merits of writing a diary. My right eye was sore and my left one was even worse. The bosses went out for most of the day so I wrote a letter to Bruce Philp about the “Forum” evening we had at the Conference and the Logos and sent him a list of the names of the people who attended the conference. I didn’t write up much in my diary though, because my eye was too sore. At home this evening, after dinner, I settled down to start studying for the exam.I got out Eureka and began reading from that, then as I skipped through the volumes looking for things having bearing on the subject, I realised that to sort it out and find just what I wanted would take ages. I spent the whole evening with little result. I’ll never get my Bible marked up properly before the exam. I guess I could just mark it up but then it wouldn’t really be my work and would not satisfy me. I went to bed in despair at 9.00 o’clock and prayed for help to understand it all.

19570702 Letter to Lawrie Leadbeatter – I received your letter when I arrived home from work today, read it and then went straight into the lounge and started this letter back to you. Yours was really a lovely letter, Lawrie, and I hope to receive many more like it. The day I arrived home from Sydney, the weather matched my mood. Dull and miserable and I felt like turning around again and going back to Brisbane. Then on Tuesday, I had to go back to work, and work was the last thing I felt like doing. Still, I knuckled down and caught up on all the filing etc. That had piled up in my absence and by doing this, I tried to forget how miserable I felt. I don’t know if the conference left you feeling like that, but I missed everyone terribly, I didn’t know what to do with myself for a while. That night, I set work though and wrote letters, typed notes and kept myself so busy that I didn’t have time to stay miserable. I’ve been dong it ever since and I’ve got myself into a real routine. I am writing to so many people that letters are always rolling in, and they say that while you keep busy you don’t get up to mischief.

I do remember that last Monday morning of the Conference too. I saw you standing in front of Chelmsford and I knew that you would probably like to write but that you’d be too shy to ask me, so I asked you. It’s funny how people differ. I’d rarely ask a boy to write to me, because it’s usually the boy’s place to ask the girl, but somehow with you, it just seemed the natural thing to do. I guess it did give you a scare to see me carried out that night. It certainly gave me one. It’s the first time I’ve ever fainted and I always thought that I was simply not the type who faints. I guess it was because I didn’t have a decent meal while I was at Chelmsford, the food being so bad. On top of that I was pretty churned up and worried at the time. It was the second day running that I had received a lecture from various members of the Adelaide-ites for being too high spirited. I was beginning to feel like Malcolm Kirkwood and Eric Mansfield must have felt after Brother Pearce delivered that lecture to Chelmsford people that night. (They missed the lecture and everyone else took it upon themselves to deliver the lecture to them personally!!

I would love to have any photos you can send over, Lawrie, and some of you if you have any.When you write next time, tell me all about the ecclesia you go to over there and your Sunday School class etc, and what you think about things. It makes letters so much more interesting when people write what they think, not just what they do. I am so glad you felt that I helped you at the Conference. It’s only what we should do for each other. Thanks for writing and I am really looking forward to your next letter,

Love in Christ,

Fay O’Connor.

19570702 Tuesday – This evening I received a letter from Barrie and was there a difference. You’d have thought it was a different boy writing. He spoke on the Truth the whole way through and it made his letter twice as interesting. He enclosed a photo of the two of us taken on Sunday at the open air meeting at the conference, Ray Tutticci sent it to him. It was much easier to get down to business tonight of studying for the exam and I went through the subject of, “He is coming” with Eureka and wrote up the quotations. Then marked them in my bible, just the red and green to show that they are important passages and tomorrow night, God willing, I’ll progress a bit further. Hope I can manage to get it done before the exam.

Went to bed late gain. This is getting terrible. I’ll have to get to bed earlier in future.

19570703 Wednesday – This afternoon as I went out into the Sales Department, Bill Golley spoke to me and asked me what religion I was. I told him I was a Christadelphian and then asked him why he wanted to know. He said he had been reading a pamphlet someone gave him in the street and he’d decided he wanted to go to church. I suggested that he come to our Sunday School. I asked him where he lived and he lived at Woodville, so I got his address and told him we’d pick him up at at 2.45 on Sunday next. These are the directions he gave me to get to his place. Go down Port Road, turn right up Kilkenny Road, left at the Railway Station then Cross over the Railway and go down Gray Street, then down to Fifth Avenue and he lives at No. 16. Tonight was Bible class, (I didn’t go). They had a film called “The changing Middle East.” It was ok.

19570704 Thursday – Today was just one mad rush. We had a circular to send out to 260 people. I didn’t have to finish it until tomorrow but I decided to try to finish it today. I finished up on doing it all on my own. This evening was Crena Meyers and Lyal Baker’s kitchen evening. Mum and I were the only ones going at the start, but then Charlie suddenly remembered that Maynard’s invitation was in his room and he had forgotten to give it to him and it was because Maynard thought he didn’t have an invitation that he wasn’t going. Everyone roared around and we all ended up going, though Charles and Beth arrived just in time to miss supper. There weren’t many there at all really compared to the number they usually get. The first game they had when I arrived (we were late) was musical arms. Lyal Baker was on one end and somehow or other he and I always seemed to meet up when the music stopped. He looks like David Pogson, Wow! And he will only be single for one more week. Bit late for me then, I guess. Everyone gradually got eliminated and there were only a few of us left. I had such fun. I cheated my way along, laughing and flirting with every boy I happened to be with when the music stopped. Once I ran madly to grab Lyal’s arm and met up with him with such impetus that we both ended up sitting on the seats at the end of the room. Lucky they were there or it would have been the floor. Phyl Matthews and I were the last two on the floor and Lyal was the only boy. After a mighty struggle I won, but only just. Phyl is as determined as I am.

They gave me a Violet Crumble for the prize and before it got to me it went along the line of those sitting down and everyone took a mouthful, and then they handed me the empty wrapping paper at the end of the row. The Palmer girls sang “little Mr Baggy Britches.” At this time I was sitting with the “Black Point” boys, Dean Pitt, Dean Matthews, Brian Briggs etc. They asked for six girls to come out. I went in it for fun, guessing it would be some crazy game. It was! We had to eat one of those dry biscuits; great huge things, then blow up a balloon and then sit on it and bust it. I put the biscuit in my mouth all at once, blew up the balloon at the same time and just about choked. I sat on the balloon and busted it and won the game but I had biscuit down my wind pipe for the next half an hour. I was talking to Lyal who was now sitting next to me and I told him he looked awfully like David Pogson. Mum was there and she said, “Oh, but Lyal is better looking than David,” and without thinking I said, “Oh no he’s not.” Lyall laughed and glared at me at the same time. Then Crena said, “I think I’m lucky there’s only a week to go before the wedding, by the looks of things,” and I said, “Yes, you are.”