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“Why not record events in my extraordinary life” I thought to myself? Even if it is of little or no interest to most people, I get great satisfaction recalling the wonderful experiences I have enjoyed over the years.
I guess what I’m really saying is, this section is for me, but I’m happy to share or just let it float around in Cyber space, “Que Sera Sera”
My Long Winding Road has been a wonderful journey, born way back on July 7 1943, & grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney Australia. One of the great benefits to me with this photo blog, is I get to re-live all the fabulous experiences in my life, I’m certain that without photos as a reminder, I probably would forget 80% of what I have done in life.
I was the eldest of 5 boys with the most wonderful parents any child could wish for.
Rather than focus on the early years just follow THIS LINK for lots of old photos of all the family.
This post covers memories from the 60s & 70s, part 2 will be the 80s & 9os.
Please note this is not part of my travel blog, it is my online photo album.
My 21st birthday in 1964
We celebrated a couple of months early as I was about to leave for England on the cruise ship Fairsea with my best friend Glen Beasley. Here is the story of THE CRUISE.
May 1964
After 18 months of working 2 jobs, I just qualified as a toolmaker, plus I worked weekends for Don Talbert the Australian swimming coach, my friend Glenn Beasley and I prepared to leave on May 7th to sail to England on the Fairsea.Just before I left I took my young brothers the the barber and had them shorn. They loved the new haircuts but poor Mum almost fainted. 🙂
A girlfriend from the 60s.
Veronica Crocker lived at south Granville, such a sweet beautiful lady, in fact breaking up with her really motivated me to head overseas. I have been so lucky to have know so many GORGEOUS GIRLS.
My Long Winding Road
Halfway to England we took in some very famous sights.
The White Lion Hotel in Cobham
Glen & I worked as barmen for a few months, I think we drank as much as we served. 🙂
7th Engineer on the La Marea
After 12 months away I needed to earn some money to pay for my trip home. Spent a few months working on the ship, we took Volkswagens to America & bought back grain to Europe.
My first job in Sales
I joined Macdougals LTD in Clarence St Sydney in 1966 selling Victor calculators, this was the year of decimal changeover. Then in 1969 I became Victorian state sales manager for Victor calculators, Smith Corona typewrites, Elliot addressing machines & SCM copiers. I had a staff of 30 salesmen, & what a shit fight that was.
Living in Alma Rd St Kilda & working in Swanston St in the city. From the left we have David Adams, aka the Animal, Adrian Yates, Mike Wright, DH, Graham Edwards & ???.
Sydney 1971
Moved back to Sydney after 2 years in Melbourne, here I am with good friend Peter Lewis & one of his many girlfriends Marilyn.
Living in Adelaide 1973.
This shot was taken at a party I organised on the beach at Semaphore in 1973, at the home of Maria Martin. Lots of photos HERE.
The music in the 70s produced many of my all time favourite songs, here are 3 of those.
Piano man 1973
Hotel California 1977
Suttans of Swing 1978
Darwin airport 1972
Ansett hosties & Arch Wilke (RIP) an ex north Adelaide Aussie rules player.
The following day
Manton dam south of Darwin.
Anzac Highway Plymton in Adelaide.
The cool dude on the right is Grahame Farquhar who was one of my regular drinking partners. I last saw him in 2014.
Melbourne Cup 1975
Di Lett & the man in the black hat. 🙂
Wood St North Melbourne
I transferred from Adelaide to Melbourne with Sanyo, in 1973, lived there 2 years & met many new & interesting people, got engaged to a beautiful lady and narrowly escaped an attempt on my life. 🙂 I was 1 year at Lexton Grove Windsor & 1 at North Melbourne.
I love this photo
It was 1975, I’m with Di Parkinson, her brother Phil, Wolf Wottke & Angie.
A little bit of erotica. 🙂
As they say in the classics, two ladies called Dianne are better than one. 🙂
The Herd family in 1979
A rare photo of the five brothers together with our beautiful Mother.
Adelaide in 1975
Sadly as time goes by we lose some friends, that’s Hank Wottke between Angie & Parko, he passed away while living in Western Australia, RIP. Kneeling at the front is Trevor Beach, worked for City Ford in Sydney for a number of years, RIP old buddy.
Thanks for visiting my My Long Winding Road photo blog, PART TWO is coming soon
Favourite photos Japan, there are so many, I need to do two, maybe three posts. Such a fabulous country with a wonderful mix if old & new, or should I say ancient & modern. 🙂 The beautiful garden above was in Kyoto.
Yokohama station
There is a surprise around every corner in Japan.
Tōdai-ji Nara
Originally founded in the year 738 CE, Todai-ji temple was not opened until the year 752, absolutely spectacular.
Nara is 50 minutes by train from Osaka.
My favourite Tokyo restaurant.
Sushizanmai is a well known restaurant chain, this branch is open 24 hours a day & was adjacent to the old Tsujiki fish market, without a doubt it’s my favourite restaurant in Tokyo.
I really love this photograph.
In Kabukicho there is a small lane called “Piss Alley”, there are many tiny restaurants serving fabulous food. I have named this photo “Only the Lonely”.
A huge fire in 1759 destroyed the whole castle then it was re-built in 1788. That year is also when 11 ships with 1,530 people onboard, 736 of them convicts, arrived in Botany Bay a few miles south of Sydney Harbour in Australia. This event is known to all us Aussies as “the first fleet”.
Nagasaki Peace Park
Awesome statue commemorating the atomic bombing of the city on August 9, 1945 during World War II.
Boat ride around Hikone castle
Hikone Castle is a Japanese National Treasure, one of five in the whole country. It is regarded as one of Japan’s most beautiful and historic castles.
I love to sit in Starbucks & watch the peak hour crowd swarm across this famous intersection.
Shabusen in Tokyo
In the heart of the Ginza this terrific restaurant is a great place to enjoy Kobe beef. Go at lunch time when the special are cheaper. 🙂 TripAdvisor rating is #45 of 8,342 Restaurants in Chuo.
Another look at the Shabu Shabu.
I visit this great venue every time I’m in Tokyo.
Favourite photos Japan
This is Dotombori in Osaka, there are so many restaurants & such little time. 🙂
Thanks for visiting my Favourite photos Japan photo blog.
Little old wine drinker me, I’m praying for rain in California, So the grapes can grow and they can make more wine, And I’m sitting in a honky in Chicago, With a broken heart and a woman on my mind. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Sing it for us Dean. 🙂
I certainly enjoy a glass of wine or 3, plus I love living in Thailand. One of the few problems here however is the very high price of wine. In this photo blog I will give you some idea of prices & suggestions of where to drink wine at a (fairly) reasonable price.
I am a regular at this bar, but not as regular as I used to be. Last year they increased the price of a glass of red to B140 or $6.70 AUD, however there is a 10% discount if you have a member card which brings the price down to B126, still overpriced in my opinion. I must say however they do pour me a reasonable size glass for which I’m forever grateful. 🙂
I now drink elsewhere Friday, Saturday & Sunday during the English football season, as the TV volume is so high it’s uncomfortable for many customers such as myself.
This is what I mainly drink at home.
Probably because I’m a “Cheap Charlie”, can you believe we pay B1000 or $48 AUD for 3 bloody litres? In 2018 we were buying a 5 litre cask for that amount, then the Thai government jacked up the tax & excise.
In fact taxes on French, Australian and American wines, for instance, are as high as 400% including excise tax, municipal tax, health tax and import tariffs.
Five litre Australian cask
Amazing value at B315 or $15 AUD. So $3 a litre as opposed to $16 a litre in Thailand.
Very good food & a terrific wine selection, always have some great specials.
Australian red wine at Wine connection
Billy’s shadow shiraz is B650 or $31 AUD, & Angus the bull B850 or $40 AUD. Billy’s sells for $7 in Australia & Angus $19. Is it any wonder I lay awake at night weeping? 🙂
Pssst! Want to know a secret?
Foodland at Terminal have these Aussie wines for only $20 AUD. Of course you can buy it in Australia for around $8.00.
But wait, there’s more…….
Tops mini supermarket on the ground floor of my condo building at Markland on Beach Road.
Is there a better place to drink wine than here?
A fabulous September sunset from the Holiday Inn at happy hour. Every day between 5 & 7 pm a glass of Australian red or white wine costs B240 ++ for 2 glasses. The ++ is the killer of course, it takes the price up to B283, or $15.50 AUD which is a reasonable $7.75 each given the fabulous location.
Terrazzo Holiday Inn
As you can see it’s a nice place to sit & have a few wines. 🙂
The best value Aussie red in Pattaya
Can you believe Mathilda Restaurant on 2nd Rd only charge B420, or $20 AUD for this Aussie red? The price of food is very reasonable also.
Xmas has come early
My great friends Nick & Sharron bought me 8 litres of Aussie red for a cost of $28 AUD, the 3 litre Mont Clair costs me $48 AUD, say no more. Many thanks to Nick & Sharron.
La Vida from Chile
It’s now December 2020 & this 5 litre cask is the best value in Thailand, B979 or $44 AUD, I buy a box of 4 from Best supermarket at Dolphin roundabout. 🙂
Shock! horror! It’s now October 2021 & they have put the price up to B1,080, or $44.91 AUD.
That’s all for now folks
Thanks for visiting my Little old wine drinker me photo blog.
Before you leave please listen to Frankie reminiscing. 🙂
Music triggers fabulous memories, I hope you enjoy these selections, all favourite songs that I really love. Everything from Sinatra to Freddie Mercury. Can you imagine a life without music?
Music triggers fabulous memories, how many times has a song come on the radio, & in that instant we are transported back in time to a particular moment or a place so many years ago?
This is not a travel blog, it is part of my personal photo history, you may describe it as the melancholy musings of an old man. My answer to that is simple, it’s far better to be a “has been” than a “never was”. 🙂
Pretty woman stop awhile, Pretty woman talk awhile, Pretty woman give your smile to me, Pretty woman yeah, yeah, yeah, Pretty woman look my way, Pretty woman say you’ll stay with me, ‘Cause I need you, I’ll treat you right, Come with me baby, be mine tonight. It seems fitting looking back on a random selection of some of the Pretty women I have been lucky enough to know, that Roy Orbison should help me recall some of those wonderful memories.
That’s Karen Smith in 1985, my 3rd & last fiancee, I have never known a nicer girl.
Carol Aboud in 1978
This was taken on my birthday which fell on 7-7-77, Carol & I were an item (on & off) for around 4 years.
Sing it for me Neil. 🙂
Carolyn Clark 1994
I still see Carolyn when I’m on the Gold Coast, in fact in July 2019 we made a little promotional video for her boyfriend Andy Sims.
Next we have Glenn Frey sing a beautiful song, ok I know the song is Caroline as opposed to Carolyn, but you get the picture.
Now this definitely is a pretty woman.
Kelly Davis hailed from Tasmania, we knocked around together for a few months in 1991.
Kelly was a huge fan of Van Morrison so here is another one of my favourites.
One of the sexiest of all the girls I knew.
There is something about those Kiwi girls, hot, hot, hot. Karen Greenwood & I had an on & off relationship for over a year in 1991. She stuck around mainly because I lent her a car. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Now here we have a real wild child.
Allison Schroeder, 18 years of age & gorgeous. Of course I was only 45 at the time. 🙂 If I remember correctly I promised her the world & bought her an atlas. 🙂
As they say in the classics, I was having the time of my life. 🙂
Allison was wild but Tanya was crazy. 🙂
Great company sober, but give her a couple of drinks too many & she would turn into a nightmare. This was 1989 on the Gold Coast.
Time to feature a triple treat.
Meet Kitty, Di Parko & Helen Burke, before you ask the answer is yes. 🙂
They don’t come any hotter than Donna Turner.
This was 1996 & she still looks fabulous today in 2019.
Marlene Cuthbert
Around 1983 Marlene worked for Ansett Airlines, she had a very sexy voice on a microphone, that’s why Ansett used her to make all the announcements at mascot airport. 🙂
Looking back I sometimes regret I chose Karen Smith to be my 3rd fiancee instead of Marlene. Don’t get me wrong, Karen was one of the nicest person I ever knew, our personalities were at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Lee Gregory was my 2nd fiancee.
Lee was from Adelaide where met, then we reconnected again in Melbourne in 1974. We had a fairly hectic dramatic short time together, travelled to Singapore & Bali & saw Frank Sinatra in concert in Melbourne on my birthday 7-7-74.
This is one of my all time Sinatra favourites, I can think of no better song to play when I think of Lee.
And they did…..
Teresa Hamilton-Smith & Helen Burke, we had a lot of fun together in 1982 & 1983.
Barbara Manneli aka the Gypsy.
The classic island romance, we celebrated the millennium on Koh Samui, 3 months later I flew to Italy to re-kindle the affair. Guess what? I didn’t make 1st base. 🙂
This one’s for you Gypsy.
Tall & tanned & young & lovely
This is Mel, we me on Copacabana beach, she had green eyes & was 6′ tall, say no more. 🙂
Bebel Gilberto will sing the song for us.
Someones knocking at the door.
Do me a favour open the door & let em in.
This is Emily at the Sheraton Mirage.
Was a Gold Coast meter maid.
Then there was Jill….
Cool, sexy & a lot of fun. Last time I saw her was in Sydney in 2102.
Back to the 60s
Veronica Crocker was my 2nd serious girlfriend, we dated for a couple of years when I was a teenager until the wanderlust took hold of me & at the ripe old age of 20 I sailed to England.
Dion DiMucci was a huge artist in the 60s, here are two of his songs. Both bring back great memories of my time with Veronica.
Teenager in Love
Take good care of my Baby
My first serious girlfriend
What incredible memories I have of this gorgeous girl Elizabeth Wiggington, better known as Beth. She lived on the corner of Wellington Rd & Antwerp St & I would ride my bike 3.3 Km from my home at 58 Kihilla Rd. It was much easier when I got my drivers licence & bought my little Morris Minor, except for the night I was driving home from her house & collided with a horse on Cumberland Rd. 🙂
Now here is one of the reasons I love Facebook, it was 1960 when we were together for 1 to 1.5 years, then I never really saw her again. It’s now September 2019, 59 years later & we have re-connected on Facebook, in fact Beth sent me quite a few photos, because way back then for some stupid teenage reason I had torn up all the ones I owned. 🙂
Johnny Burnette can remind us how it was back then.
The old shipboard romance.
I needed to get over my long romance with Veronica & Leanne Scott on the ship to England seemed like the perfect solution. 🙂
Sing it for me Bobby……
Wendy Winspear, tall & gorgeous.
A lovely Dutch girl on the Gold Coast, sadly she passed away far too young around 2017, RIP.
My first fiancee, Melbourne 1970.
Paula Wills was an Adelaide girl living in Melbourne & working as a an hostess for Ansett. After 3 months living together I think we just ran out of things to say.
Dianne Parkinson in 1975
To say Parko bought some dramas into my life is a gross understatement. Read about some of it on THIS LINK.
The sweetest Diane of them all.
Adelaide 1973 Diane Butson was one of my neighbours in a condo block on Anzac Highway. She was a dance instructor at Arthur Murray dance studio. A great girl & absolutely gorgeous. Follow THIS LINK for more old photos.
Great song from the Bachelors in 1964.
The Bachelors ~ Diane ~ 1964
Another beautiful Adelaide girl.
Jan Seagers was another neighbour, we had some terrific times together. We caught up again in 2015, I had not seen her for 40 years. Check out THIS LINK.
Pretty woman stop awhile
Helen Burke from Melbourne, we really had some fun, played backgammon all through Hawaii & the California coast in 1982.
Linda Ronstadt will tell you about the coast.
Well by now you are bored silly by the memories & musings of an old man. But make no mistake, Glenn Frey will describe exactly how I feel today.
Boys must have toys, it’s ingrained in our DNA. I have searched through my photos to find nearly all of the cars & boats I have had the pleasure of owning throughout my life.
They don’t come much prettier than my yellow canary shown above, I owned this beautiful Mercedes 350SL for 17 years from 1990 till 2007.
Here’s what you do with a beautiful carYou fill it up with pretty girls of course. 🙂
When you own a beautiful Mercedes….
Naturally you need a Porsche to keep it company. 🙂
When you drove a Porsche on the Gold Coast……..
Good things seemed to happen.
My first Mercedes 350 SL
I purchased this classic in 1980, it was the ultimate chick magnet. 🙂
When you have a Mercedes & a Porsche…..
Naturally you need a boat. 🙂 This is a 22′ Fraser with a 200 HP Yamaha.
Next you need a crash test dummy
This keeps the birds away when the covers are off. 🙂
My previous boat.
19 foot long with a 150 HP Suzuki.
Life is hard, then you die.
Joking of course, life is wonderful, when you die you can take a rest. 🙂
A little runabout to get me around Pittwater & Scotland Island. Do you like the name?
Here is my Bertram 25
A terrific flybridge cruiser with twin 165 HP Mercury inboards. It was moored outside my Drummoyne apartment in the early 80s & spent most of the time visiting Doyles at Watsons Bay.
When you own a boat…..
Good things seem to happen. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Loading the team on board
Off to Doyles again.
Gluttony at it’s very best. 🙂
So many memories of long lazy lunches at Doyles.
A typical Sunday at Doyles
Huge crowd at Doyles & the Watson’s Bay hotel next door.
Back to the cars
Early 80s I drove a Ford Marquis for a while.
You gotta love a Benz. 🙂
This was my Mercedes 280 E in 1989.
My beautiful Jaguar XJ 6.
It came with 2 petrol tanks & 2 gorgeous girls.
My first car
Sorry about the photo quality most of my photos were damaged when my home in Melbourne was firebombed in September 1977. But that’s another story, it & others are on THIS LINK.
Next car was an iconic FJ Holden.
My girlfriend Beth washing my FJ Holden outside my home at 58 Kihilla Rd Auburn.
I was lucky to survive some of the things I did in this car. Looking back, I was a typical teenager in the 60s who knew no fear.
Then came the Volkswagen
I can remember floating it on the flooded highway at Ballina in the floods. I just pushed it 50 metres to the dry road.
When you owned a VW in the 60s……
Good things happened, for example “Veronica Crocker”.
EH Holden station wagon.
This was my next car after arriving home in 1965 after 18 months in England & Europe, including a 4 month stint as an officer on the La Maria.
A 1970 MGB, my first new car.
It set me back just under $3000, worth every cent. Purchased in Melbourne, relocated to Sydney for 2 years then moved to Adelaide in 1972.
A 1971 E Type Jaguar
Forget the photo quality the car was magnificent. I remember driving from Adelaide to Melbourne in the middle of the night in 5 hours 45 minutes.
When you drove an E type good things happened.
Meet Jan Seagars & my Doberman Ziggy, this was Lexton Grove Windsor in 1974. Three thoroughbreds together.
My two sports cars
One was a little faster than the other, but I loved them both. Madison was guarding the fleet.
The work horse
My Commodore station wagon initially was my 2nd car, in 2003 I took 3 Japanese students on a road trip which started in Surfers Paradise & went through Broken Hill NSW to Coober Pedy in South Australia. The next leg took us to Uluru aka Ayers Rock.
Boys must have toys
You may think this Lexus is a little out of character, I owned it for 3 years prior to moving to Thailand in 2011. Without a doubt it was the best value out of all the vehicles I ever owned. Paid $7,500 in 2008 & sold it for $7,000, it was as smooth as silk.
Well, that’s all folks.
Many thanks for visiting my Boys must have toys photo blog & indulging me in truck loads of nostalgia.
Iconic Photos Series 2, taken over recent years by me, David Herd. To many people they will be nothing special, however to me they are very special indeed. Pattaya sunsets are I believe as stunning as anywhere on Earth as you can clearly see. 🙂
This little Japanese princess in Kanazawa granted my request for a photo, but only after I asked her parents for permission. 🙂
Minesota Fats at “The Game” in Bangkok.
Located on Sukhumvit right under the Nana BTS Station. The photo takes me back to 1961 when I saw “The Hustler”, featuring Eddie Felsen (Paul Newman) and his adventures in the world of professional pool. Fast Eddie is a young hopeful on his way to challenging Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) for his world title.
By far the most impressive temple I have ever seen in Thailand. It was totally renovated in 1998 after the new Abbott Kru Ba Tuang raised huge amounts of money from people all over the country.
A candle in the wind.
The lovely ladies at Starbucks in Pattaya helping me celebrate my birthday. 🙂
Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.
The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.
Sutus Court is a great budget hotel right i the heart of one of Pattaya’s main bar areas, just use THIS LINK for a terrific room rate. 420/100 Moo 9 Soi Buakhao.
This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposite the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate.
This is not a travel blog, it is part of my personal photo history. It seemed like Groundhog day. 🙂
Surfers Paradise Party Animals
Surfers Paradise Party Animals, 1992 was just another year of fun & games on the beautiful Gold Coast. I was certainly among the main party hosts, I had a great home for entertaining & I loved have lots of beautiful girls around.
Some of the usual suspects.
Naturally when there were pretty girls around the competition between the guys was fierce. 🙂
A rose between two thorns, I don’t think so. 🙂
I guess there is no need to say I was enjoying life to the max.
Occasionally some of the girls would relax in the spa.
Naturally I always had my camera ready.
These girls loved nature
And Dr Evil was always there with the camera. 🙂
Roslyn & Jill looking good
I remember spending some “quality time” with both these lovely ladies.
Jill & Sharon
Another “daily double” I’m happy to say, (that just means I bonked them both. 🙂 )we saw a show that night at Jupiters casino, I think it was Barry Humphries.
Andre Buzek dentist extraordinaire, (I don’t think so)
Sadly my great mate lost his life soon after in a car crash in Cuba.
Girl of the year Kelly Davis
I was lucky enough to spend a few months on & off with this lovely lady.
Here we are on New Years Eve
Naturally Harley is locked & loaded once again. 🙂
My favoute song from 1992
Big Steve Bristow (son of Tim) & Greg Johnston.
Now in 2018 Greg lives in Pattaya & runs a bar on the dark side, & Steve still lives on the Gold Coast.
The late great Paul Allen, a Surfers Paradise icon.
Talking about icons…………
Daryl Beattie is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, those bikes however all belonged to Mick Doohan the living legend who won five consecutive 500 cc World Championships. The guy in the middle is a legend in his own lunch time, my good mate Ross Kennedy aka “Shoeless Joe”.
Talking about legends…
Here I am giving my boat a good wash. 🙂
A good looking bunch of babes
It was Xmas day 1992 and we all had a great lunch at my home in 106 Upton St Bundall. My main squeeze at the time was Kelly 2nd from the right, & my occasional squeeze was Jill standing beside her. 🙂
Another night another dinner at Upton St
Harley & his gay flatmate naturally came dressed in their army outfits. 🙂 Tat’s Kandice on the left & Nicola on the right.
That night produced one of my favourite photos
This is a true classic.
Another classic from 1992
Lyn Goss & Roslyn provided the glamour & Tony Murphy & I contributed with a truck load of style. 🙂
Pattaya Life Absolutely Perfect place to live for a guy like me. Good friends & great restaurants, what more could I want? Plus a reasonably short plane ride to many outstanding locations. Above is the incredible view from my Markland apartment on the 20th floor.
We went to Chiang Mai for 4 days which was excellent then 8 days in Cambodiawhich was not so good. Reason being we all caught a dose of the flu which really took the shine off our holiday.
A terrific beach side restaurant with very good food.
Surf & Turf hamburger
Guaranteed to fix your appetite.
Geriatrics are us. 🙂
I think the combined ages were 272 years, from the right we have David Herd, Richard (Stingy) Blair, John Hunjadi & David Robertson who is even more Stingy than Stingy. 🙂
Bali Hai wharf.
This was supposed to be completed by October 2017, however given the fact that this is Thailand it will more likely be Xmas 2018.
And so this is Xmas….
Light show at the A-One hotel.
One last Mantra dinner on December 28
Hamish & I had a 20% discount voucher. 🙂
Fabulous food as usual.
Finally on the subject of food which is very dear to my hear.
Fresh prawns & Aussie lamb chops & cutlets from Big C.
Now you can understand why I make the following claim “Pattaya Life Absolutely Perfect.”
Newport peninsular Sydney is my personal photo history not part of my travel blog.
Newport peninsular Sydney
Newport peninsular Sydney was my home for three years from 1984 to 1987. After becoming engaged to a beautiful Melbourne lady Karen Smith, I purchased a timber home perched on a hill above the Royal Motor Yacht Club. The cost was $128k, and I sold it after our engagement fizzled out 4 years later for $360K. I guess it would be worth nearly 2 million dollars today.
Absolutely gorgeous.
As you can see Karen was a beautiful lady, it took me anther 10 years before I realised I was just not cut out for marriage or long term relationships. There is probably a multitude of reasons why, fear of commitment, too independent etc etc.
Dinner party at Herbert Avenue
We were very happy at Newport 80% of the time, I tried hard to settle down and enjoy life as a couple, every now and then however the “call of the wild” would interrupt our utopia.
Wolf Wottke (with the beard) had been my best friend for a number of years, I left him renting my Drummoyne apartment for a year or so until I got fed up chasing the rent. Consequently I sold it which in hindsight was probably a mistake.
Lots of birds & wildlife
These beautiful Rainbow Lorikeets would visit every day for their snack on the balcony.
Life was very good
I had all the toys, a beautiful Mercedes Sports, a cabin cruiser moored at the yacht club, a liquor store in Sydenham which I was in the process of selling and a good sales job with Canon Australia.
Lion Island
This great photo (excuse the quality) was taken on Lion Island in the Hawksbury River, from left to right we have Graham La Roche aka “Biff”, his girlfriend at the time Mona,Ross Ansell from Melbourne and Karen Smith & I.
Me Tarzan
Ross doing his Tarzan impersonation on Lion Island.
31 Herbert Avenue Newport
About 25 years later around 2012 I paid a visit to Herbert Avenue to see if things had changed. Apart from the colour scheme and far less vegetation nothing much had changed.
Another day on Pittwater
My good friend Tony Murphy and his beautiful wife Inge join Karen & I on my 26 foot cabin cruiser. After 29 years I caught up with Inge in Melbourne in 2014.
My back veranda overlooked Bayview
Here is my good friend Paul Slaughter with two gorgeous girls, on the left is Trish and on the right an old girlfriend of mine Shirley.
Big Tim Bristow, dinner at Herbert Avenue.
Tim Bristow was a friend of mine dating back from the time we met in 1971 when he was on my tail to give me a hiding, but that’s another story just follow THIS LINK. In the 70s just the name Tim Bristow struck fear into the heart of all those who knew him, an enforcer with a reputation of being one of the most brutal street fighters in Australia. Put simply he was legend, a bouncer at the Newport Arms hotel, would be contenders for his crown would travel from all over Sydney to try their luck, many came and all of them were sent packing battered and bruised.
Sydenham Cellars
I sold my liquor store in late 1984 which took the pressure off me. I had been working with Canon for a few months and travelling to Sydenham (a one hour drive each way) at weekends to work in the liquor store. Meanwhile I dug a wine cellar underneath my Newport home and stored a huge amount of wine that I took home from the shop.
Unwins Bridge Road
That’s Madison my beautiful 4 year old German Shepherd who used to diligently guard the store overnight.
Brian Millard on Newport peninsular Sydney
Brian was a boat broker at Newport and a regular drinker at the Newport Arms hotel. He lived just up the road at Bungan Beach before moving to Noosa where I believe he still resides.
Richard on the left and Rob Carnahan
Two very nice guys who were customers of mine when I was with Canon. Their office was opposites the Oaks Hotel in Neutral Bay so more often than not we would meet in the pub.
A bunch of my nephews & nieces come to visit.
Amazing seeing these old photos, all of these cute kids now have children of their own.
Sue and John Heatherington
A lovely couple who lived in the next street from us, John also worked at Canon in the computer division.
Malaysia 1985
John & Sue, Karen & I went on a Canon conference to Penang, here we are driving from Penang to Singapore via Kuala Lumpur.
Singapore Xmas 1985
Here we are in Singapore, notice the cigarette. I smoke on and off for most of my life until 2003. Usually 2 or 3 years then I would quit for a similar time before returning to the grip of the nicotine.
Newport peninsular Sydney with Phil Parkinson
Phil has lived most of his life on the Newport peninsular Sydney and I believe still does in 2016. He is the brother of my ex girlfriend Di Parkinson.
Melbourne Cup 1985
Karen & I at the cup with friends including another ex girlfriend Helen Burkewho is on the left of the photo. Helen has a vineyard at Dromana on the Mornington Peninsular, I spent a few day there in October 2014 drinking wine with her and her partner Jack.
Oscars Coolangatta 1985
I can’t remember the name of the beautiful dark haired princess, she was the girlfriend of my crazy chiropractor from North Sydney.
Newport peninsular Sydney
Prior to buying my cabin cruiser I had this little run-about, it was a lot of fun, do you like the name?
Another guy from my rogues gallery.
Danny Rose one of Adelaide’s true characters, we had a day of the water, you can see “Stamped Urgent” in the background.
Beautiful Karen Smith
Certainly my life on the Newport peninsular Sydney revolved around lots of good friends and my beautiful fiancee Karen. My thanks to her for being the most important part of my life for those great years.
Thanks also to you for visiting my Newport peninsular Sydney photo blog.
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FiveStarVagabond favourite photos taken over many years by me, David Herd. To many people they will be nothing special, however they are very special indeed to me. Sometimes it’s the image itself that appeals & other times it’s the memory of where I was at the time.
Where else but New York City, it was a cold February night on the corner of 8th & W 48th st, I was about to have dinner in a terrific French Brasserie called Pigalle.
My number one Songkran photo taken in Pattaya. Each year a massive water fight is held to commemorate the new year. The downside is the hundreds of lives that are lost on the roads during the Seven days of madness.
I was in HCMC aka Saigonwhen approached by this little girl begging for money. I knew she would give it to her mother waiting nearby, & possibly the mother would have to hand it over to local gangsters. Consequently I filled a plate of food which she devoured rather quickly.
Ansett hosties & Arch Wilke (RIP) an ex north Adelaide Aussie rules player.
