coughdrop

Seven years later and still no replies to the hobby of building model aircraft. Building and flying model aircraft was a joy for me as a young teenager. I guess the pleasure of building light and strong structures has faded away in our instant society.

Another year gone by without solid plans to visit. I was really hoping to connect with anyone who frequented the "Jules Et Jim" back in 1963. The older I get, the more formative those years appeared to be for me. Certainly from the point of view of developing my music and playing abilities. Email address is still the same as it was 20 years ago, and so is my postal address. Even though I have been battling the big "C", I have been planting many of my friends who have crossed the bar (nautical saying). Funerals are not a great place to catch up. Still playing trains though (see Willans Hil

As I have stated in my other post, I worked at Beecroft and Son toyshop on Pelham Street for a couple of years in the model basement. I started when I was 13 because I looked like I was 16 (tall and handsome!). It started out as Saturdays and then all week during the school holidays. I guess I was pretty good at it and I know I thoroughly enjoyed it. I tried to encourage my own Sons to get a few hours work when they were 15 and 16 but to no avail.

Hi Deeps, Yes, I knew many ex RN submariners. My father, Lt George Cole, also transferred to the RAN and was OIC refits at Cockatoo Island Dockyard for a few years before becoming OIC West Head Gunnery School in Victoria. I did my time on missile systems and was IC weapons and electrical refits at Garden Island for a couple of years myself. I ended my working life teaching Aerospace Engineering to the combined services at RAAF Wagga for 18 years. At least I was able to pass on some of my knowledge to a few interested persons. After spending my whole life working with the military and havi

Ha Ha, there was a song about that back in the 60`s. The last line being "Kindly disregard this letter"

I joined HMS Fisgard in January 1964 in class S50. Went to HMS Collingwood in January 1965 then transferred to the Royal Australian Navy in October 1965.

Thank you very much for all your input. I have now made contact and we have exchanged our own brief history of time (LOL). Regards Andrew

Then there was the chap who saw a UFO and didn`t know what it was! I have never seen any object that I would describe as a UFO but I have observed radar reflections whilst at sea of apparent solid objects doing things no known earthly object would do. The radar checked out o.k.. This was back in the early 1970`s when I was in the navy. It led me to a life time interest in the electromagnetic spectrum and sensor technology. Our eyes only pick up a miniscule part of this spectrum. I am still working on the construction of a mobile sensor array, spectrum analyser and computer analysis p

Thank you all very much for your input. The next step is an attempt at contact. Regards

Doing lots of stuff up the trains these days. Have to keep busy. Check out Willans Hill Miniature Railway page on Facebook. Regards to all.

Thank you Jill and Katyjay. The name Sue Pollard rings a bell. I used to do stuff backstage for the Gilbert and Sullivan productions in 1962 and 1963. I will try the contact. Cheers

Wow! Gaps of 10 years on this topic! Still, quite a few of us are still on the right side of the turf!.

Hi Alison, nearly 11 years later and I just tried to access your site but to no avail. Is that your site problem or a server problem? Anyway, being in our seventh decade, maybe I should travel east from Wagga to the coast and catch up. Catch me on Facebook. Regards Andrew Cole

I have been trying to find out what happened to an old class mate from Mundella Grammar School, Rowena White. Over 25 years on the internet have not resulted in any information at all. I have now reached my 3 score and 10 and find I need to reconnect and review my past in order to complete my journey. This wonderful invention has enabled me to find many friends that I lost contact with when I joined the Royal Navy in 1964. I have been in Australia since 1965 when I transferred to the Royal Australian Navy. I am also on Facebook as myself and on the Willans Hill Miniatu

10 years and three failed relationships later and still no closer to a list (LOL). I find Facebook a good source of old friends but also sad news of people I knew having passed on from this life. I am still on the right side of the turf and play with miniature railways mostly now instead of model aircraft. All the best to you all.

So it would appear. I have viewed it on Google Earth and it certainly looks to be the place. I wonder what happened to the owner Rene and his wife. They used to live on a boat at Gunthorpe Lock.

On a sad note, Foxy, Malcolm Fox, who replied to my post, has passed away recently. He was a true friend when I was in England. R.I.P. Foxy.

I used to catch the bus out there in the early 1960`s with my model aircraft. The Gee Dee model aircraft club used to fly control line and free flight and the Forresters club would fly radio control. Geoff Pike, George Bradley were a couple of the radio chaps names I remember. They would fly the Ed Kazmursky ORION aircraft, the 1960 world champion one.. I eventually made an ORION here in Australia in the 1990`s when I was teaching at RAAF Wagga. Great companions and great days.

Here we are four years later, another relationship down the gurgler but a nice stable one for the last two years. Maybe I have met my match after all this time (LOL). Stephen Porter and I have communicated quite often but he has not managed to get to the old shop or basement to look for the aircraft at all. Any volunteers? Carol, what is the situation with Dave Turner now? I don`t play much these days, my hands don`t want to work as they should. I am mainly involved with the miniature railway here (Willans Hill Miniature Railway on Facebook) since I was made redundant. I have to

Four years since I have been here and I find a photo of my exact memories. I have been in contact with Sue Beecroft. David was interviewed by some historical society because he is the last of the Beecrofts. No more will we see their store and yes, they are now an internet store only. I guess our generation has seen so much of the tradition be broken up or fade away. Even the military traditions are gone.

Getting back to topic, I used to fly control line and radio control model aircraft out there on Sundays in 1962 and 1963. I still fly my models but out back of my house in a farmer`s field about the same size as the aerodrome!. That is Australia for you (LOL).

Yes, you are correct. After Beecrofts shut down in Pelham Street, David moved the shop to Drury Hill. It was never going to work as a shopfront because hardly anybody walked past it, but most of their business after that time was mail order. I contacted David and his wife a couple of years ago and the business is still going strong and into its third generation.

I got a suprise phone call from me old mate Stephen Porter the other day. We went to school together (Mundella). He still lives there and he said he would go to the shop and see if the basement stillexists and then have a look for my aeroplane. Wouldn`t it be an absolute buzz if it was still on top of a cupboard all cobwebs and dust after nearly 50 years !!! Still, stranger things have happened. Cheers to you all.

I have been looking for a Rowene White for years. She was in the same class as me at Mundella in 1963

From all the model aircraft I used to sell at Beecrofts, I would think there were quite a few of those young lads that have grown up to be big boys with better toys. I am still very heavily into building and flying models and have just started sorting out my building board again for this coming summer over here. I have posted elsewhere that I was a member of the Gee-Dee MAC with their rooms in Heathcote street (now a florist I believe). I have also posted some photos. Maybe this is the place to put it all. I look forward to catching up with some of you old modellers back there. Andrew