Letter to Lala

Nov 7, 2009.

Hi there David!

OK, you've got it right about who's who. But tell me do you not remember meeting William and me outside the New Market in Cal either ending of '71 or sometime before March '72?
You were, if I remember correctly, eating a Mart tuckshop-looking-bun-tack. You know that's a corny joke! Those were the days!
David Young (white) was in Brisbane before he moved to Melbourne. You must have known that.
I don't know if you know, but David Young (the other) died about 2-3 years ago. He did fairly well in the Persian Gulf on the rigs. He had a heart attack at a hotel in the Philippines. Not long after, his sister Joyce also passed away. She was also working in the gulf.
Where is Crafty Ahmed now?
I sent Peter Q. a feeler which he didn't feel. Aren't we getting old?
I've never had any news of the Hashmans before. Ian and myself were great boat builders. I remember all the ice cream sticks and pieces of razor blade we carried around in our blazer pockets.
Oh it's getting late.
Bye

George
Send me a pic.

Hi Lala,

I'm really very happy that you responded so promptly. Your address came along with Johnny's contacts, as also several other old boys' adds, including James Shepherd's. Time changes everything so I wasn't sure you'd consider the school petname humorous. Good to know that's not the case.

OK, Pat and Lorraine were James' sisters and their father was with Time

Magazine. After leaving school we, Keith and I, came to know that we were in fact related to James. The difference between Keith and myself, probably could be compared with the Baker brothers and we were in Cornwallis House.

You might recall that William Lyons and myself met you outside the New Market, Calcutta, either end of 1971 or beginning of '72. That's when I'd spent some months in Cal.

Your comment on the lake banks means you don't know that an embankment separates the Lat from the school. The bank where we lolled around waiting for dinner or as youngsters, fished from, no longer exists.

Do you live in the Big Pond area of Adelaide, if that's the correct way to put it? I have relatives, some of whom I've never met, in that area.

Right, bye for now,

George

Oct 20, 2009.

Hi Johnny,

That's a lot you've sent me. What can I use on my blog?,

Over the years I often wondered about several of the old school boys several of whom we had had no news. So it was good to hear so much about the Wards.

The pics I've sent were taken this morning when I went to reach my son to school. The lake has water because the Gomti level is high owing to the recent rains we had.

The distance from the river to the Lat is a stone's throw i.e. someone with a good arm.

George

PS I remember Puff the Mighty Dragon. You gave up music?

The band pic was sent by John Cline in response to this email.