| Author | Message | ||
     richard george yeaman Prolific User Username: richyrich Post Number: 1167 Registered: 04-2012 |
Hello all I was thinking it would be great to meet up with my pals from the 2017 2018 2019 Events I enjoyed them all. is there any body interested, Richard Yeaman | ||
| Alan Dibley Frequent User Username: alsdibley Post Number: 365 Registered: 10-2009 |
Count me in. | ||
| richard george yeaman Prolific User Username: richyrich Post Number: 1168 Registered: 04-2012 |
That is great Alan by the way on the 13 th of March I got my O B E same as you, Richard. | ||
| michael vass Frequent User Username: mikebentleyturbo2 Post Number: 777 Registered: 07-2015 |
would like see you all again  | ||
| Larry Kavanagh Frequent User Username: shadow_11 Post Number: 831 Registered: 05-2016 |
Count me in too. Any suggestions regarding a venue? | ||
| richard george yeaman Prolific User Username: richyrich Post Number: 1169 Registered: 04-2012 |
Hi Larry be good to see you again and hear spme more of your funny stories.We will talk about venues a bit later, Stephen Mullen and Barry Murphy are also going. Richard. | ||
| Patrick Lockyer. Grand Master Username: pat_lockyer Post Number: 2549 Registered: 09-2004 |
Having missed you at Beaulieu would love to meet up. Maybe the Haynes Museum or the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum for starters. Seasons greetings to you and hope you are now keeping well. O B E cripes soon be my turn! Car starting on LPG in the frosty weather with condensation.  | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 4160 Registered: 04-2003 |
When do you expect to hold this get-together? I will finally clear my outstanding travel restrictions with the anticipated sale of my final property being my family home in Sydney after renovations are completed most likely in March/April 2023. We have moved into our Sydney apartment at Cronulla that we purchased and renovated earlier this year and are keeping my partner's country home on the North Coast of NSW as well to escape the Sydney "rat race" when needed as well as visiting her children and grandchildren who live nearby. My children[4] and grandchildren[9] are scattered far and wide from Singapore to Brisbane and Sydney. The start of some "me time" and associated travel after a long wait is fast approaching and it would be great if the get-together and our visit to the UK could coincide . I have maternal and paternal ancestors from the Rhondda Valley in Wales who emigrated to Australia and I intend visiting the places that I heard so much about from them when I was growing up. I inherited a family Welsh Bible from 1746 which is passed down to the eldest child from each generation and it will pass to my son and his son in turn when the time comes. . | ||
| richard george yeaman Prolific User Username: richyrich Post Number: 1170 Registered: 04-2012 |
Patrick fantastic we will go somewhere that the Saint Johns ambulance brigade is on standby ha ha. David that would be EPIC, still nave my kangaroo on my fridge door. | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 4161 Registered: 04-2003 |
Richard, When I do finally make the get-together I will add to everyone's fridge door collection as the indigeneous artist is still active and I will try and get him to do a special design for us. . | ||
| richard george yeaman Prolific User Username: richyrich Post Number: 1171 Registered: 04-2012 |
David that would be some thing else,I will be presenting my usual commemorative key rings. | ||
| michael vass Frequent User Username: mikebentleyturbo2 Post Number: 778 Registered: 07-2015 |
This is a good museum I've heard https://greatbritishcarjourney.com/ Mike | ||
| richard george yeaman Prolific User Username: richyrich Post Number: 1172 Registered: 04-2012 |
Keep the suggestions rolling in,More punters would be nice and a time frame. Richard | ||
| Alan Dibley Frequent User Username: alsdibley Post Number: 367 Registered: 10-2009 |
Visit Haynes Museum, of course. I think they will put on a special tour for us, as they did for the RREC - I was on it. | ||
| Larry Kavanagh Frequent User Username: shadow_11 Post Number: 832 Registered: 05-2016 |
I second Alan's suggestion of a visit to the Haynes Museum as its location isn't terribly far from The Rhondda Valley where David intends to spend some time. | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 4162 Registered: 04-2003 |
Just an early discussion item for consideration - my partner will be travelling with me and this will be her first overseas trip apart from a holiday visit to Fiji before we reunited two decades ago. Would there be any interest in organising some activities for our partners if they are interested in coming to the chosen venue? I would be happy to co-ordinate this part of the get-together once the venue is decided if needed. Depending on airfares once international air travel returns to normal, we will travel on a round-the-world ticket as I have a son based in Singapore, a long-time family friend in North Carolina, a visit to the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in Washington and the NASA Space Centre in Houston to follow up my involvement with confirming the Skylab debris that landed in Western Australia in 1979 and too many steam trains to chase in one trip! My visit to Wales and the Rhondda Valley is solely for family history reasons as all my grandparents families came from this region and emigrated to Australia in the early 1900's. One of my maternal great-grandfathers was a renowned eisteddfod winner and sang a tenor solo to the Prince of Wales by Royal Command. This is one family trait that I certainly didn't inherit!! | ||
| richard george yeaman Prolific User Username: richyrich Post Number: 1173 Registered: 04-2012 |
Ok why dont we treat Davids visit and the afore mentioned meet up as two separate events that David could organise a solely social meeting where our wives or partners could attend I think it would be well attended and easier from an organising point of view. Richard. | ||
| Mark Aldridge Frequent User Username: mark_aldridge Post Number: 834 Registered: 10-2008 |
Richard, I like that idea and my wife would enjoy. | ||
| richard george yeaman Prolific User Username: richyrich Post Number: 1174 Registered: 04-2012 |
Mark it would be an absolute pleasure to meet you and your Lovely wife Jackie again. Richard, | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 4163 Registered: 04-2003 |
This suggestion is a good compromise and will enhance domestic relations as well - the wives will enjoy meeting Sue [as will you]. I learnt many years ago that "domestic bliss" is worth its weight in gold . | ||
| Larry Kavanagh Frequent User Username: shadow_11 Post Number: 833 Registered: 05-2016 |
Hi David, Just wondering if you have an approximate idea of the dates for the UK visit? I realise that property renovations are rarely completed to schedule due to unavoidable delays and the almost guaranteed intervention of Murphy's Law. Perhaps the venue and date should be left undecided until you are in a position to confirm your availability. Regards, Larry | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 4164 Registered: 04-2003 |
Larry, I suggest you set a date to suit yourselves and not me as I will have no control over my travel dates until my renovations are completed, my property sold and settled - given the travel costs that will be involved and my current investment structure, I prefer to take the cost of our travel from the future sale proceeds rather than my current investments due to the current investment yields offered being lower than those of my earlier investments. My builder resumes next week after the Xmas/New Year holiday break and I should get a more accurate estimate of when the work being completed subject to favourable weather conditions [i.e. no further "La Nina" weather patterns like recent years]. | ||
| Larry Kavanagh Frequent User Username: shadow_11 Post Number: 834 Registered: 05-2016 |
OK David, understood. I don't think there's any need to rush into organising any particular date or venue . It would be great to have you and your good lady included so perhaps it would be better if we wait a while and see how things progress. Happy New Year to you and yours. | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 4166 Registered: 04-2003 |
Thanks Larry, Thanks to the easing of Covid travel restrictions, there is huge pent-up demand from our "Grey Nomads" to resume overseas travel and air fares out of Australia are ridiculously exorbitant when compared to more normal times and currently it is difficult to get seating as well. I expect things will settle down later this year when the airlines resume normal flight schedules as they bring "moth balled" aircraft back into service. Qantas is reinstating most of their Airbus A380 fleet which had been withdrawn from service due to the Boeing 777 being less expensive to run than the A380's however there is a strong customer preference for the A380 for long-haul services which dominate our air travel due to the increased space and comfort of the A380 compared to the 777. This is important for me as I am 6'2" [1.87metres] tall with long legs and need all the space I can get on long-haul flights as I had a life-threatening DVT episode 12 years ago on a flight from Darwin to Sydney after being unable to get out of my seat to move around thanks to a "fly in-fly out" worker who took sleeping tablets before boarding then fully reclined his seat straight after take-off and the hosties couldn't wake him up until we arrived in Sydney 5 hours later. 2 days later I was in the hospital emergency ward with multiple massive DVT thrombosis problems after the E.D. triage nurse gave me a 30% chance of surviving given the extent of my problems. Today, I am "living proof only the good die young" thanks to an excellent cardiac specialist and the hospital E.D. medical staff. My building renovations are on schedule and the major issues are effectively fixed. The real estate market has quietened down however prices haven't gone down as much as I expected however this might change in the next few months but remains unpredictable. My property has several features that increase its value as it can be converted to dual occupancy for families wanting in-law or family member private accommodation but need family support for age, medical issues or tertiary/further education only available in Sydney plus I have off-street parking space for 6 to 8 vehicles if needed. At the present time, I am expecting I will be able to firm up dates and make our travel arrangements in April/May. Onward ever onward........ | ||
| Larry Kavanagh Frequent User Username: shadow_11 Post Number: 835 Registered: 05-2016 |
No worries David, best of luck with the sale. Keep us posted when you know more. Being 6'1" with long legs myself I can identify with feeling cramped on an aircraft and it's a long haul from The Antipodes. Have you heard about the Irish trainee pilot who - when landing in fog - was asked by the control tower for his height & position - responded "I'm 6'4" and I'm up in the front"? | ||
| Mark Herbstreit Frequent User Username: mark_herbstreit Post Number: 241 Registered: 05-2005 |
Thread drift Re Davids comments on the 30th Dec. David you are the only person I know of qualified to possibly tell if my piece of Skylab is genuine or a clever money maker by the gift shop that sold it 40 years ago.  | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 4167 Registered: 04-2003 |
Hi Mark, The problem for you is knowing if the material in your acquisition is genuine or some rubbish miraculously "transformed" into Skylab "debris". The Kara Skylab medallion insert is 100% genuine Skylab material and has been officially certified by NASA through my involvement whilst I was in Perth. All US-origin space items remain the property of the US Government in perpetuity and it is my understanding the "dumps" in the Kara Skylab medallion are still the only US space material properly authorised for private ownership. A lot of Skylab debris did land in the Southern region of Western Australia and I was working in Perth at that time hence my involvement in the verification and subsequent NASA transfer of official ownership of the material incorporated in the Skylab medallion to the purchasers. At the time, I recall the W.A. police were very active in informing and chasing down holders of Skylab debris on behalf of NASA and the subsequent return of seized items to NASA. Suffice to say, some crash debris items "went underground" and subsequently resurfaced years later and your "memento" is most likely in this category although I do recall a lot of fake debris also appeared for sale. The Kara medallions are the genuine item and if you own one, you need not fear a raid by the FBI or problems entering the USA from being on the US Government border "watch list" .  | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 4171 Registered: 04-2003 |
Images for previous post above:      | ||
| Omar M. Shams Grand Master Username: omar Post Number: 2211 Registered: 04-2009 |
Dear Richard, You did a great job of getting us together a few times. When will be our next reunion? Take care Omar | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 4276 Registered: 04-2003 |
Welcome back Omar, long time; no posts. I have greatly missed your participation. | ||
| Alan Dibley Frequent User Username: alsdibley Post Number: 404 Registered: 10-2009 |
Quote:- "Welcome back Omar, long time; no posts. I have greatly missed your participation." Hear, hear. Alan D. | ||
| michael vass Frequent User Username: mikebentleyturbo2 Post Number: 811 Registered: 07-2015 |
Hi Omar. I'd like a meet up too. Mike |
