14 Weeks Worth of Socks

Because its important to have clean underwear

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Very excited to see this show. Guess I might then need to see the movie? #moulinrouge #musical #sydney (at Moulin Rouge The Musical - Australia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmqdwSHLpyp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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There are no words to describe how much I ❤️ my new Electra E-bike. Chances of me riding off into the sunset are very high. #bike #cycling @electra_australianz (at Gold Coast, Queensland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmTQjnNrr93/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Princess Cruise Line Main Dining Menus

Princess Cruise Line Main Dining Menus

Attached is a PDF document of some of the main dining room menus from our November 2022 cruise on Coral Princess from Brisbane, Australia to Papua New Guinea. I can’t comment on any of the food on these menus as we used the buffet for all our meals. I did hear people complaining about the main dining room food – but not sure if this was a wider complaint, someone with a specific issue or someone…

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“Work from anywhere” has its perks. Breakfast from @guzmanygomez this morning alongside the #brisbane river near #southbankparklands I ❤️ having a job with flexibility to work anywhere, and trust that I will get the work done. (at Brisbane, Queenland, Australia) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl7sGbfveQv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Princess Patter - Princess Cruises Daily Activities

Princess Patter #PrincessCruises Daily Activities from our recent #PNG cruise on #CoralPrincess

As people are now getting back to travel, including cruises, most of the resources are outdated. We were on the 17 November 2022 Coral Princess from Brisbane, Australia to Papua New Guinea. Before we went, I struggled to find recent menus and daily activities lists. Nearly all the resources available were pre-Covid. I’m sharing the Princess Patter daily schedule of onboard activities from our…

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Once again women have been omitted completely from history in the opening paragraph in this museum display we saw today. Come on people - we can do better! A slight rewording and it could have included all those involved. #women #history #museum #inclusion #melbourne #australia https://www.instagram.com/p/CbzF9znruKd/?utm_medium=tumblr

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A very dark stormy looking sky @shrineofremembrance @visitmelbourne #melbourne #australia #victoria (at Shrine of Remembrance) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbv3M7lvBgN/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Yesterday we cut a branch off our native Hibiscus and this morning found that these beautiful beetles were hiding in the pruned bits. Returned them all to the original plant and watched them all rush back up the tree to hide again. Photo only shows a small number that were returned. Most people wouldn’t care about them, but insects are critical to our environment. But please don’t tell Robert I also saved two baby grasshoppers too… #insects #wildlife #beetles #goldcoast #queensland #australia #gardening #gardeningaustralia (at Gold Coast, Queensland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYfPqq9BqTz/?utm_medium=tumblr

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More Books less Social Media

Blog post - "More Books less Social Media" - trying to read more and scroll less. #reading #books #newyearsresolution

As a kid and for much of my young adult life I used to devour books at a rapid rate. I’m a massive fan of libraries, as a kid I would drive my Mum mad wanting to go to either a museum or a ideally a library. I’d bring home stacks of books and disappear into them over the next few weeks before having to return them. My bedroom had multiple bookcases full of second hand books. Even my first jobs as…

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Family Album seeking descendants

Family Album seeking descendants

Seeking descendants of George and Emily Mary Bates (nee Tunney) who are buried at Tweed Heads, NSW. Last week while trawling through the Antiques Centre at Coolangatta on my lunch break, I stumbled across an old family album. No way that I was leaving without it – to me, something with such sentimental value is worth a lot more than the $10 I paid for it. To be fair its not in great condition –…

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Quietly

The humans they are still asleep, So no noise I make. Not a peep! Early hours of the morning, Softly as the light is dawning. Quietly off the bed I creep, Down the ramp I slowly sneak. There I settle on the floor, And start to lick the first of four. Paw number one I start to lick. Which paw next?  It’s hard to pick. Three more to go. But first this one. Lots of licking, till it’s…

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What I gave up in 2020

What I gave up in 2020

A lot of people gave stuff up in 2020, but completely unrelated to the pandemic, way back in January last year, I decided that I had to stop buying clothing. I vividly remember the moment, sitting on a deck chair, on a cruise ship admiring my new gold slip on shoes … and thinking, “do I really need a new pair of shoes?” Anyone that knows me IRL, knows that I’m not, and have never been a fashion…

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Skid Marks on my Heart

Skid Marks on my Heart

When we got you from the pound, You looked so sad and seemed so down. You had lost your human friend, And felt your life was at an end One look at your old, grey, face, We could not leave you in that place Some memories are hard to erase, And old habits are hard to replace. For hours you sit and lick your paws, Then wipe your arse upon our floors. And while you are the perfect pet, You…

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ANZAC - Stuart Leslie Sillars

#ANZAC commemoration post for my Grandfather Stuart Sillars who served in Egypt and Europe during #WW2 #anzacday2020 #lestweforget

Following my previous posts this week about my great-uncles Jim Wootton and Keith Sillars this last ANZAC commemoration post is regarding my Grandfather Stuart Leslie Sillars.

Stuart was born in 1915 to Matthew and Mary Sillars in the small port town of Lyttelton, near Christchurch, New Zealand.  He was the youngest of 4 children with an elder sister and two elder brothers.  Both his brothers…

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Grandad’s WWII Diary - Thursday 9th July - Tuesday 14th July 1942

Grandad’s #WWII Diary 9th-14th July 1942 http://wp.me/p48tq1-1hX attacking German lines at #Alamein

Click here for entry for Friday 3rd July – Wednesday 8th July 1942

Thursday July 9th

Day 459

Another quiet day – am praying he won’t attack us as battalion spread out terribly thin.  Hear heavy bombing at box at night.

Friday July 10th

Day 460

Sighted twelve of his tanks about mid-day – our anti-tank opened up but couldn’t hit any but frightened them off although not before they had opened up…

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Following on my from post the other day about Jim Wootton, I wanted to share some more photos of Matthew Keith Sillars (known as Keith).  Keith was my paternal Grandfather’s brother and unfortunately didn’t survive the war.  He was killed in action on 25 November 1941 and is buried at Halfaya Sollum War Cemetery in Egypt.  I previously wrote about Keith here and shared photos of his grave here.

The photos I digitised at the weekend show Keith before he left to serve in Egypt.

Two of the photos are of Keith on his wedding day.  The wedding to Joan Elizabeth Wilson was held at St Saviour’s Church, West Lyttelton (unknown date but presumably in early 1941).

I don’t believe there were any children from the marriage and I don’t know what became of Joan.

I do know that my Great-Grandmother (Keith’s mother) applied to receive Keith’s pension for being killed in action. She argued that she was under more hardship than his wife Joan, since she was a widow without an income and all 3 of her sons were serving overseas.

This last photo is of Keith (left) with my Grandfather at what looks to be Burnham Military Camp, just outside Christchurch, again this would have been early 1941.

Follow @paula_from_nz #ANZAC - Matthew Keith Sillars - old family #photos shortly before heading to #Egypt to serve during #WW2 including Keith's #wedding photos Following on my from post the other day about Jim Wootton, I wanted to share some more photos of Matthew Keith Sillars (known as Keith).  

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Sitting at home with some extra time on my hands, one of the tasks I have been working on is digitising old photos.  One of the bundles I worked on this week contains old family photos, including a number of family members who served in World War II.

I thought I’d share them over the next few days as its seemed timely with ANZAC Day coming up next weekend.  (For non-NZ & Australian readers, ANZAC Day is a remembrance day falling on 25th April every year in which both Australia and New Zealand commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations” and “the contribution and suffering of all those who have served”.)

These photos below are of James Henry Wootton known as Jim.  Jim was my paternal Grandmother’s elder brother.  Jim was born in 1912 in Christchurch, New Zealand.

I don’t know much about his time during WW2 but I know he served in Egypt.  The Auckland War Museum shows him listed as a driver with the Army.

On occasion, he met up with my Grandfather (who would become his brother-in-law after the war) while they both served and is mentioned in my Grandad’s war diary on numerous occasions.  They had a number of failed meetings, but did manage to get together a few times to socialise and catch up.  Jim was mentioned as being camped at Mena.

They did manage to get some time off to spend together in Cairo in August 1943 as shown in the photos below – Jim on the left and my Grandfather on the right in both photos.

I haven’t transcribed this far in the diary yet so not sure what Grandad had to say about this outing.

The good news is that Jim survived the war and married twice, once to Esme Lilly Bridgeman and later to Averill Esther Lyn Glanville.  There was 1 son born during the first marriage to Esme and a boy and a girl from the second marriage to Averill.

Jim passed away on 6 December 1988.

Follow @paula_from_nz #ANZAC - James Henry Wootton - Photos including Jim in #Cairo during #WW2 Sitting at home with some extra time on my hands, one of the tasks I have been working on is digitising old photos.