Shearing at the Hedges

[Ganmain Tony]

Now this is shear (pun intended) heaven!!

After a fantastic dinner of beef stroganoff cooked by the ever dependable Emma Hedges. Max & I thought we'd drop a line whilst waiting for the apple pie to cook.

Have had a fantastic day with the successsful construction of a timber 20inch spare wheel carrier & tool box.

Special thanks to Robert Farmer for his high energy input after lunch and Emma for her help and photo's....not to mention the fantastic dinner. The mushrooms incidentally were fresh from the paddock.

Enclosed are some pictures - I must especially mention Max showing effort beyond the call of duty. Pulling apart his own cattleyards for a piece of spotted gum perfectly suited to the floor of the spare wheel box. A priceless moment in the annals of blitz restoration!!!

Incidentally Clevo is still in solitary confinement...Ollie is taking his antibiotic tablets and wont go outside unless Kathy is with him. The vet says his pride is hurt more than he is. Emma said at least he was beaten up by a dog this time. Last time was by a cat! '
Nevertheless - Clevo should keep his legs crossed for the time being.

[Keith Webb]

I love the all in situation where, placing their natural anti-Ford prejudice aside Ashley and Robert pitched in to help get the FGT going.

Bet that carrier is heavy! Hope you were making plans for when I make one for my F60L.

I hope Clevo has learned his lesson... picking on poor little Ollie like that!

[Max Hedges]

It's the real Max here. For all Tony's good work I will reward him today and take him to the War Memorial in Canberra this morning.

Our trip we were going to do to look at Bitzes has been called off, as the fella has changed his mind.

So it looks like some of the parts Tony needs we will have to look further into my sheds.

Max

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by Max Hedges

It's the real Max here. For all Tony's good work I will reward him today and take him to the War Memorial in Canberra this morning.

Our trip we were going to do to look at Bitzes has been called off, as the fella has changed his mind.

So it looks like some of the parts Tony needs we will have to look further into my sheds.

Max

Make sure you take him to watch the 'Over the Front'. Absolutely spellbinding and outstanding as is the WW2 show. There is of course a Canadian C60L on display in ANZAC Hall - General Moreshead's caravan. Unfortunately the Cab 12, F15A and FGT aren't accessible as they are in deep storage at Mitchell.

[Ganmain Tony]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

Make sure you take him to watch the 'Over the Front'. Absolutely spellbinding and outstanding as is the WW2 show. There is of course a Canadian C60L on display in ANZAC Hall - General Moreshead's caravan. Unfortunately the Cab 12, F15A and FGT aren't accessible as they are in deep storage at Mitchell.

Wow! Excellent suggestions Keith. Did not move from that section all morning & went back there in the arvo. Very moving tributes especially to the RFC who were basically flying early Dennis trucks with wings....the SE5 & RE8 looked very primative compared to the Albatross. G for George looked fanastic as did the Mosquito, Spitfire, Kittyhawk & Mustang.

I was stunned at seeing the German Albatross in the flesh (or Balsa wood with canvas & dope to be precise) It looked like a deadly machine to go up against. Apparently the average lifespan of an Allied pilot in 1916-17 was eleven days!!!!

The tradition continued in WW2. After seeing the Me 262 in the flesh all I can say is that we were darn lucky the Jerries didnt put it into production prior to the battle of Britain. Even the panel fitment is like a modern aircraft!!!

Max came with me in the arvo & we enjoyed ourselves immeasureably.

Morseheads truck looked placial in the back, beautiful timber work (very similar to the spare wheel carrier currently being made at "'Hedges Bodyworks") loved the sink & plumbing!!!

[Keith Webb]

I think the WW1 show is about as good as it gets... short of having been there at the time. Peter Jackson has done an amazing job. Looking forward to seeing his Dam Busters!

Also possibly the best things about the German WW2 aircraft (at least the 109 and 262) is they are in their original paint. You certainly won't see that everywhere. The same for the Spitfire although it is in a later war training scheme it is genuine, not repainted.

But it makes you cry when you think of the aircraft they did have but which were scrapped in the 50s. You could have been looking at a Betty, Beaufort (Scotty's Homin' Pigeon - a 100 mission aircraft) and a genuine 455 squadron Hampden. There was also (as I heard last week from it's pilot) the nose section of 199 squadron Short Stirling B-Beer which for whatever reason did not arrive in Australia after being saved from the scrappers at the end of the war.

Still we have to be thankful for what is there, as well as what is in store at Mitchell including the other Beaufort, Hudson, and also some amazing German missiles.

[zemsi]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

I think the WW1 show is about as good as it gets... short of having been there at the time. Peter Jackson has done an amazing job.

.... yeah, this short movie is really brilliant! I watched it 2 or 3 times when I was over there. However the most impressed and meaningfully presentation was in 2005 by an actress. She was standing behind G-for-George portraying a wireless operator who was in contact with the Lancaster Bombers during an air raid. Her performance got me goosebumps, her voice, her feelings, everything was "real". She was talking about the Aussie spirit and "the fine young Aussie men who will never return".

Dam Busters: When will it be released in the cinemas? Or is it a documentary?

Greetings
Chris