WILD AND TAMED

1999

RONI

Veronica Dallamora was an Australian with Italian roots. We met at a COC bible study in 97. Peppi & I had finished & Roni & I seemed to get on right away. She had strong principles & had a kindly & generous spirit. She also had those beautiful Italian features.

One day she came over to me at the sound desk after church looking so lovely & fresh in a corn yellow skirt & white blouse...We would have coffee, chat & take walks & then that call from Peppi came.

Yes, I was a fool & I could see the disappointment in Roni's face. Never the less we remained friends but after I finally finished with Peppi, she was a little cautious & who can blame her.

She moved to London to be with her sister who had been there for some yrs. Marisa was the 3rd sibling of 4...the oldest was the only boy. Roni was the youngest.

During my time at UCB I kept in touch & we built a close relationship even across the world. She had gone back to Australia.I even recorded a weekly update from her at UCB about Christian events in Australia.

In May I took a Royal Brunei flight to Perth,WA via Dubai & a lengthy stop in Banga Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. Everyone was so polite & well behaved in a country where all had work & shared in the oil wealth.

I was the guest of Roni & her Mum in Rockingham, a pretty town south of Perth. We visited with Mark, her brother & his fam plus Anita & her fam, her other sister in Perth. In fact Mark lived just around the corner in Rockingham.

I was so impressed with the cleanliness, order & friendliness of the Aussies. They appeared to be a hard working & intuitive people.

Of course, they had a tremendously varied background incl. the British as convicts which they had a humurous pride about.

We visited Perth & various ministries plus the iconic  Kings Park overlooking the modern city & the Swan River with their unique black swans.

After church one day we were invited to a farm where I saw a sight that enthralled me. A corella...part of the cockatoo family had become a great mimic & had the folks running for the phone on a few occassions...no one there🤔...he could bark like their dog & even told Abraham (the dog) to be quiet...Abraham obeyed...then to cap it off the bird came wandering over the lawn straight for 2 cats. I thought there would be trouble...not a bit of it, Casey the bird & the 2 cats began to hug & hold each other.💔

We spent long walks on the golden sands around Rockingham. The bird life is wonderful from all the parrots, magpies,ravens to the Kookaburras & their special sounds.

There was a trip to Caversham Animal Park where we interacted with all the indigenous Australian animals,incl wombat Henry,koalas,kangaroos & all the birds of course.( I would be back there in the future)

Also a trip to Tumblegum Farm which was a working one but gave demos of sheep herding by the Aussie sheep dog the Kelpie...very intelligent like the European one,sheep sheering,fun & games & also an Aboriginal dance demo.

We took a road trip down to Albany,staying in the youth hostel which was really upmarket. I really liked Albany,quiet & beautiful.

From there to Denmark & a bird sanctuary.

Then over to the southern most point Augusta.

Up to Dunsborough & Bunbury, all well appointed towns.

In between we spent a night in the quaint town of Bridgetown which had the fam holiday home.

Finally & maybe the hi-lite was a trip on a cruiser out to the Rottnest island which has totally protected wildlife especially the quokkas,another cute marsupial. No vehicles allowed.

We went on an island tour & then back on our cruiser with an hillarious safety demo.

We had one or two meals in Freemantle, Perth's main port. The Port Market is huge with loads of food to buy & eat.

Paid Sonshine Radio a visit where I interviewed manager Barry Grosser whom I've kept in touch with ever since. In fact, I was to do some work for them in the future.

Decided to bless Lea & Roni by buying tyres for their car...always so much better to give than receive...Don't know who felt more joy...but smiles all around.

All too soon I had to go...Roni asked if I could extend my stay...I couldn't. There were tears in her eyes at the airport.

She said she wanted to wait & pray on the matter of us. When she did phone me in November, I told her I was due to get engaged to someone.

I think she was hurt badly but I was 41 & could not wait forever...I was not even sure she would get back to me.

Over the yrs we have continued to communicate.

She did make a trip to Europe spending most of her time in Bologna,the fam seat.

Her mamma became ill & Roni went back to Oz.

Sadly, Lea died in 2013

Roni has continued to be instrumental in helping me looking deeper at myself & asking God for guidance in being more righteous.

HOSTEL

 To make some extra money,  I got a job at a hostel for indegents in Stoke whilst at UCB.

There I saw all types of humanity...those that had rough breaks...those that chose that way of life...those that recognized the state would care for them & those who also abused the welfare system whilst continuing their operations...ie, prostitution,drug pedling,etc. I got my 1st experience of doling out methadone which I felt was outrageous.

The residents got free B & B & of course their welfare payments. Some of the girls,even good looking, were propositioning their Johns right outside the front door of the hostel. I was offered no end of freebies. I guess they might have thought snaring a Christian would be a coup. There were some girls that genuinely wanted to talk & unload & their way of thanks was a freebie as well. Glad to say I kept my pants on.

Often worked with a young female German student from Dresden, who was a bag of laughs,sic...looked down on me for fraternising with the rabble.😠

Fixed their evening meals & breakfast & got a room to sleep...if that was possible...so much commotion always. 1st time I saw sharps' boxes which at this time of writing would be a common sight. Had to use industrial gloves when cleaning out rooms on those that departed.

WILKINSONS

I made my base of home whilst still at UCB in the Wilkinsons' home in Brighton. They were very good to me...charging me very little & giving me free run of the house.

As they were part of the church I gave up my room & their cat Millie who slept with me when there were conferences at the church for those few days. I would stay with a friend.

They were such a lovely couple & so generous...In later yrs they moved to Norfolk to be near a daughter.

MY CHARMAINE

I met Charmaine in church in Brighton.

She was working on a nursing contract...

and so began a most wonderful friendship and marriage.