1941 - Charley & May formally start life together

May & Charles were married in August 1941 at St Josephs in South Yarra, It was a small wedding with about 10 people present, including John & Lily (Charley’s parents) Bery, Jack & Jean as well as Charley’s friends Billy Turnbull, Vin McCue & Jack Wingate. May’s bridesmaid was Dorothy Moore her work mate from AML. The couple honeymooned at Lorraines Guest House in Warburton. As you can see from the photo at left, it was winter and cold. And Yes! it was snowing in Warburton. After the honeymoon May returned to Argo Street and Charley to Puckapunyl. At Puckapunyal he was in RAEME in the tanks and his unit would soon be transferred to Water Transport. May returned to Argo Street with Aunty & work at AML (Australian Mutual Life). She stayed with AML until the birth of Terry in 1942. May had an outstanding role model in Aunty and saved both her salary and the money Charley sent home. This was to hold them in good staid as after the war they were able to purchase their first home, Belgium Avenue Richmond for ₤970.

Belgium Avenue Richmond 1946-1951

Kevin was born about one month before the shift to Richmond. Bryan & Pauline arrived 11 months after the birth of Kevin. At this stage the family did not have a car and travel was mostly by train and because of the twins pusher it was generally in the guard’s van. Charley contributed to a work place Tattersals ticket and won a share enabling them to buy their first car, a Hillman. Some of the highlights included: • A fire in the chimney brought firemen to the house & entertained the kids during the cleanup by letting them put on their helmets & sit in the fire truck • Charley’s tools are stolen in a burgulary. These included many handmade tools from his father and were quite valuable. Charley suspected one of the neighbours but nothing was ever substantiated • Terry while playing with fireworks gets called in for dinner. He had been trying to light a penny bunger which was proving hard to light. After checking it was not alight he put it in his shirt pocket. This was two bad mistakes; it was alight and it went off. May reports that young Terry would have broken the world record for the long jump. Terry still remembers the incident and reports his shoulder & arm were very sore for some time. • Terry wags school. He and a friend had discovered a tree with ripe figs. Sitting under the tree eating figs was far better than attending school. • Aunty, who had been living with them, is reported for getting the Old Age Pension while not living at her address. As a result Aunty had to move back to Argo Street.

Stott Street Preston 1951-2011

They were able to sell the Richmond property for ₤3500 and purchase the Preston property. This was to be the main family home. Mark arrived in 1953 and four years later Kathy. The street at that time was filled with young families and, as it was quiet, the street became the playground for the children. Electricity poles provided cricket wickets and an empty block of land at the end of the street hosted a bonfire on cracker nights. When we first moved in the house was weatherboard with a wide driveway with a garage towards the back of the block and large back yard containing an Apricot & a Plum tree. However it did not stay like this for long. Over the years the front of the house was bricked, a carport was built over the sideway, a drain dug across the back yard and down the side fence, extra rooms were added, walls moved... We reckon there is no wall in its original position. This is a bit of an exaggeration but not far wrong. Charley changed jobs. He still worked for Presswell Panels but he moved from assembly line work at Clifton Hill to sales and from Clifton Hills to Brunswick Street Fitzroy outlet. Later, as Presswells expanded he moved closer to home at their new factory in Abbott Street Fairfield.

Charley’s Water Feature & May’s Dolls

Chaley had always wanted a fountain. At last all the renovations were complete, the children were scattered about Victoria & Queensland, it was now time for the fountain. Like everything he did it happened quickly (yesterday was not soon enough) & thoroughly. Within a few weeks a pond & water supply was installed, the garden rearranged, new plants put around it and goldfish put in. He was very proud of it. After a while he started noticing that the goldfish were disappearing. Those dammed cats! Drastic measures were called for. The pond was netted with chicken wire and the goldfish replenished. They still disappeared! Then he saw the culprit. A bird & by its description a cormorant.

Thornbury Bowling Club

As Charley approached retirement a new hobby was called for. May threatened with a list of jobs for retirement. Charley wanted none of this. He wanted to retire. Welcome to Thornbury Bowling Club. Both threw themselves right in and before we knew what was happening (we should have expected it) TBC was being rebuilt from the ground up. A new clubhouse was built along with rebuilt green and lighting and a modern kitchen. It was not long before Charley was President and only a short time later May was Ladies President. Charley was awarded life membership. But it was here on the bowling green that Charley had his first serious setback. One of his close friends died on the green. Charley suddenly realised he was not immortal and for a long time when you bid him farewell or See you later he would reply God willing!. May as also active in the club organising trips until she organised a trip to Wagga. At Wagga while getting off the bus she was busy talking and forgot that step in the aisle towards the front of the bus. She cartwheeled into the drivers partition and down the steps onto the road. She was taken to hospital and Charley had to remain behind in a motel while the rest of the travellers went on to finish the trip. Terry & Meg brought them back home when May was released from hospital.

Embracia

In July/August of 2011 both contracted pneumonia, May quite seriously requiring hospitalisation. Charley received firm instructions that he was to stay home and not venture out, not even to visit May. Until then they had been still living at Stott Street with some structured support. While in hospital May firmly called a halt. It was time to move into a nursing home. Terry was away in a very remote outback track, Kevin was living in Queensland so it came down to a few to organise everything. A place was found, Embracia in Reservoir, and the sale of Stott Street organised. The end of an era was upon us.