Month: November 2021

“I shouldn’t be telling you this’ but…”“Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that! I can’t wait to tell someone.”“I know I shouldn’t spread gossip but it is so much…”  At one stage in my life I was an LAC working in the Maintenance Control Section of ATTU (Air Transportable Telecommunication Unit) at … Continue reading Chap’s eChat – “When scuttlebutt turns to malicious gossip.”

Lurking on the bridge of HMAS Arunta and watching as we launched our  helicopter  “Raptor” I heard a term I had not heard before. “Outhouse is established at….” I asked the Officer of the Watch about the term in a quieter moment and he explained the procedure to me. He showed me where it was… Continue reading eChap’s eChat – “ Outhouse?”

‘Your length’s lousy but you bowl a good width!’ Stephen Harold Gascoigne 1878-1942.  As a child he was nicknamed ‘Yabba’ because as he said ‘I was a bit of a talker’. He was employed first as a groom. He claimed to have fought in the South African War. But for the greater part of his life he was… Continue reading eChap’s eChat “Have a go ya mug!”

Evel Knievel (1938 –2007) was an American stunt performer, soldier, pole-vaulter, hockey player, insurance salesman, painter and entertainer. During his stunt performing career, he attempted 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps. In 1974, he failed an attempted canyon jump across Snake River Canyon riding the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket. He suffered more than 433 bone fractures across… Continue reading Chap’s eChat – “You can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps”

I once read a review of a Symphony Orchestra which examined its latest performance of  Schubert’s ‘Unfinished Symphony’. The report follows…. “For considerable periods, the oboe players had nothing to do. Their number should be reduced, and their work spread over the whole orchestra, thus avoiding peaks of inactivity. All twelve violins were playing identical… Continue reading echat- “missing the point”

I nearly burned myself out when I was working as a local church minister. I was involved in every activity and allowed people to make constant demands on my time. I was not coping because I was trying to cope with too much. My pride stopped me asking for help but it didn’t stop me… Continue reading echat- “too serious by half…

I have a small yacht named Delusions of Grandeur. One of the first times I ventured out with my three sons on to Sydney Harbour after I purchased the yacht became what can only be described as a grand adventure. We left the mooring at the Spit Bridge and were motoring towards Sydney Heads. The motor… Continue reading eChat – “where there’s smoke…”