STEWART MERRILEES - Australia's Secret Weapon

Well, it's Official.....Bulletin from Down Under.
Our long-lost classmate from Newlands Infants Class of 1954/55, Stewart Merrilees, (aka stewmeggs) has been offered one of the best deals ever. Stew has accepted a one-year contract aboard one of Australia's high-tech Navy Frigates, HMAS MELBOURNE. I'm sure he would tell us the details if most of them weren't Classified Information. He'll act as Secretary and right-hand man to the Commander of the ship.

Our Stew moved with his parents to Australia in the late 1950's and by age 16 decided to join the Australian Navy. This photo shows him at age 16, in 1966 on his first trip to sea. Stew's choice of career evidently suited him as he went on to serve in the Oz Navy for forty (40) years.

Those are "Australian Years" of course: Relentless sunshine - palm and date trees in every port - endless supplies of rum - and no traffic jams to worry about. His biggest expense was likely the purchase of Sunscreen. After his retirement from full active duty, he continued with the Navy as a Reservist, Reporting for Duty in Brisbane HQ several days each month. From time to time he has been seconded from the Navy to help the Army get their act together too.

Whilst toiling away in his Brisbane Office, Stew has been responsible for co-ordinating and overseeing special projects such as planning and organizing large-scale training excercises. This may include such events as transporting batallions of foreign military personnel (U.S. troops & others) to Down Under for training in desert warfare.

At the end of his workday when he shuts down his office computer, Stew heads back home to his beloved NANANGO - a small town & rural area about 140 miles inland from Brisbane. At home with his lovely wife Dani, Stew takes care of his six acres of paradise while studying the local wildlife, who often share his garden with him. The Wallabies and Hares are particularly partial to grapevines. Despite wildlife raids on his crops, he manages to enjoy some delicious wines and then he probably kicks back on his front porch and relaxes by belting out a few catchy tunes on his clarinet.

With a six-acre backyard I don't suppose he'll ever have to worry about complaints (or compliments) from the neighbours about his music being too loud.

Stew, We wish you smooth sailing and good ship-mates!
And we are hoping to receive news from you while you're out at sea on the Melbourne defending our planet.

The BLACK CAT versus the C.I.D..... by Ken McMurray

After reading Oor Boaby's post about the Black Cat Cinema, [see Bobby Irvine's Post below] I clearly remember that great unexpected treat as well. When the teacher announced that we were to collect all our stuff as we wouldn't be coming back to school that day, it was like Christmas all over again. It was our big chance of maybe getting "on the telly" and to be seen by millions.

Later, after the old place was taken over by the BBC and changed into one of their T.V. Studios, I also clearly remember two C.I.D. men sitting in our front room keeping obs on the place from our windows.

One of their big stars at the time (think it was Andy Stewart) had been threatened because he was doing the Ne'erday show from there. Our house directly overlooked the place so we used to see all the scenery and folk going in and out those gates that oor boaby mentioned in his Post. Apparently the polis didn't fail to notice this vantage point too.

It was a really good spot for the C.I.D. Surveilance Team to run their Operations. Any suspicious activities or unknown identities entering and leaving the bulding were monitored and recorded during the time of the threat against the t.v. star. I don't remember hearing what the outcome of that situation was.

Prior to transforming itself into the BBC Studios, the old Black Cat Cinema employed my dad as a " chucker oot" or Usher. He did this part-time ushering job there after he finished his day job. This was great for us because it meant we got in to see films for free sometimes, depending who was Duty Manager on at the time.

By Ken McMurray, May 18, 2007

(Ken McMurray currently lives and works in England, around Sherwood Forrest. You can contact him to say Hello at kenifscot@yahoo.co.uk )

MORE BEES - and HEROES by Bobby Irvine

Here is another slant on bee invasions that came to mind after reading Gary Nolan's vivid account of the Janefield Street Invasion.

In 1972-73 I was living in Argyllshire on the shores of Loch Eck about 10 miles from Dunoon. I was riding on the local bus going into Dunoon on a lovely sunny morning when the bus stopped to pick up a woman and her two young daughters.

After the mother and girls had settled in their seats, a large Queen Bee, which had apparently followed them on to the bus, settled (almost unseen) on the shoulder of the older of the two girls. Swiftly, and without warning, an enormous gang of bees entered the bus and headed straight for their leader, all landing on the shoulders of this poor lass. All of this took place so quickly that not more than ten or fifteen seconds could have passed.

The passengers were all stunned and there was dead silence for a few moments. Then a confident voice from the rear of the bus was heard to declare firmly, "Don't move hen!" The wee girl was so terrifed that she just froze.

The owner of the confident voice was found to be an older fella about 65 or so.
He calmly walked towards the front seats where the unfortunate wee girl was seated. Then, cool as a cucumber, he placed his hand right into the middle of the swarm, extracted the Queen, and continued smoothly towards the bus door. He quietly instructed the shaken driver to open the door. Then stepping down off the bus, he walked a few paces and placed the Queen gently on the branch of a nearby bush at the roadside.

Almost immediately the whole bee colony registered the fact that their Queen had moved from their midst and as the passengers held their breaths, the bees took flight from the girl's shoulders and headed outside. They rejoined their Queen and settled majestically around her on the bush. Almost the instant the danger was past, the wee girl crumbled and started to scream from the tension and fear she'd just come through. Her mother and nearby passengers moved quickly to soothe and reassure the lass.

The point of this account is simply this: How many people would have known exactly what to do in that situation?
Certainly not me! I could hardly believe what I had just seen first-hand. It was truly an amazing event. I don't think I have ever admired anyone as much as I did that old fella who took courage for granted and thus prevented a very nasty and serious situation from developing on that otherwise beautiful sunny morning.

I have been blessed to have witnessed many amazing things in nature during my life but the actions of that old fella who stepped up to deal with the Bee Invasion that day has to be right up there as one of the most heroic things I have ever witnessed.

By BOBBY IRVINE, May 12th 2007.
(bobbythescot@yahoo.com)

P.S. By the way - Whit's up? Is every body too busy?
This blog has been too quiet of late - get yer comments oan here and shake things up so we can all enjoy them.