Top Blokes & Sheila’s
Over the course of the past few months, and as we continue to attempt global navigation without gainful employment, we have been helped along the way (and will be in future) by several people who have contributed far more than money to our effort!
The people listed below have stood out for their general helpfulness and/or the postive impact they have made to us:
Alf & Anna
Arriving, as we did, in Australia when the bush fires in the Victorian Alps were raging last December, Julian (my brother) was away fighting the fires. Therefore, it was pretty nice of his (de-facto) in-laws Alf & Anna to put us up for a few weeks immediately following our arrival.
They took the brunt of our jet-lagged ways and managed not to hang too much shit on us while we stayed there. Despite referring to us as “Yorkshire ferrals” at every opportunity, Alf & Anna made us feel really at home. Thanks.
Julian & Sharon
As I mentioned, Alf & Anna are Sharons family, and when she and Julian bought their first house, they allowed us to intrude by letting us stay from the outset, and did not complain when we hung around for a while waiting for the car purchase to go through. Thanks chaps, you can stay in our tent any time!
Slavo
Slavo is a friend of Julians whom he works with at the Department for Sustainability and the Environment (I think that is the correct title?) and, upon travelling to his native Slovakia for the christmas period, thought nothing of donating the use of his car to an unknown English couple (us!) for the duration of this trip.
This extremely generous gesture was helpoful for us as it allowed the avoidance of the somewhat irregular public transport.
Jason
Jason is another friend of Sharon & Julians who originated from Upper Beaconsfield. He lived at the time we stayed down the Mornington Peninsula, at Rye. This house provided us with a good escape on hot days and we spent a few afternoons and evenings at Jasons over the 2 months we were in the Melbourne area.
He gladly cooked us barbecue dinners and allowed us to spend the night a couple of times. Thanks Jason.
Incedentaly, When we returned to Julian and Sharons on our way past Melbourne, we discovered that Jason and Slavo have let the house opposite Julian & Sharon in their quiet cul-de-sac, which should make a Ramsay streetesque open door policy begin to spread through their neck of suburban Melbourne!!!
I’ll get pictures of all of you up here, and add people as I wish in future, if you feel you should (or should not) be on the list, leave a comment!