U3A Benalla and District Inc.
  • Home
  • Benalla
    • Benalla
    • Benalla District
    • Who, What and Where? - Benalla Rural City
  • About
    • Our U3A
    • President's Page
    • Executive Committee
    • Convenors >
      • Convenors
      • Convenors A - Z 2023
    • Program Suggestions
    • Newsletter
    • Website
  • Groups
    • Groups A - Z
    • Recent Groups >
      • Armchair History (British)
      • German - Beginners
      • Meditation
      • Russian Literature
      • Hot Topics/The News - Fact or Fiction?
    • Archived Groups >
      • A - M >
        • A Different View Of German History
        • Armchair Traveller
        • Booker Reading Group
        • Bushwalking - Mid-week Walks
        • Comparative Religion
        • Facebook for Mentors
        • Google Apps/TS Plus
        • History - An Introduction to Western Civilization
        • History - Moments in Australian History
        • Investment I (1996 -2015)
        • Legal Matters (Short Course)
        • Making the Most of the Internet
      • O - Z >
        • On Target - Learning to Shop Online
        • Opera
        • 'Over There'
        • Rail and Tourism
        • Tech Savvy Apple Devices - Intermediate
        • Tech Savvy Community Projects
        • Travel Group
        • Zoom Short Course
  • A-Col
    • A - COL
    • 'A Taste of Art'
    • Armchair History
    • Art Appreciation
    • 'As Time Goes By' >
      • Home
      • Our Stories - by topic
    • 'Be Connected'
    • Birdwatching
    • Brain Games
    • Bushwalking - Easy Walks
    • Cards '500'
    • Chat n' Chew
    • Coin Collectors
    • Collectors
  • Col-G
    • COM - G
    • Community Singing
    • Creative Writing
    • Demystifying Psychology >
      • Course
      • Discussion Group
    • Enjoying the Internet
    • Exercises for Fun
    • Exploring the Universe
    • Family Research >
      • Beginners
      • Intermediate
      • Advanced
      • Family Stories
    • Film Discussion Group
    • Garden Appreciation
    • Garden Team
    • German >
      • German Home
      • Lessons
  • I - R
    • I - R
    • 'In the Lap of the Gods'
    • Investment
    • Jane Austen Book Club
    • Let's Talk Books
    • Lifeball >
      • Home
      • Lifeball Video
    • Meet and Mingle
    • Music Appreciation
    • Page Turners
    • Patchwork and Craft
    • Photography
    • Play Reading
    • Politics & Current Affairs
    • Recorder Group
  • S - Z
    • S -Z
    • Singing for Fun
    • Sky's the Limit
    • Stock and Land
    • Sustainability
    • Tech Advice
    • Tech Savvy Android - Beginners
    • Tech Savvy Apple - 'Pages'
    • Tech Talks
    • Ukes4Fun
    • Wine Appreciation
    • Wise Guys Book Group
  • Join
    • Join Us
    • Membership Application/Renewal Form
    • Program Guide 2023
    • Timetable - Month Overview
    • Full Timetable with Dates Semester 2
    • Venues and Maps
  • News
    • September Newsletter
    • News Blog
    • Calendar 2023
    • Monthly Calendar
    • Website & Facebook
  • FB
  • Gallery
    • Gallery 2023
    • Gallery 2014 - 2022
  • Links
    • Resources and References
    • U3A Network Victoria
    • Seniors Online Victoria
    • U3A Albury Wodonga
    • U3A Beechworth (Indigo U3A)
    • U3A Bright
    • U3A Wangaratta
    • U3A Goulburn Valley
  • Contact

'Advice'

29/9/2016

0 Comments

 
It was probably in the latter half of 1948 that the happenings about which I relate took place.

It was customary for my family to get together every couple of months with other family rellies for a Sunday lunch,  where the latest family news would be exchanged and the most recent losses by the favourite football teams lamented. 

On this particular occasion the embarrassingly dismal results of my just completed half yearly tests surfaced for comment.  For some reason I didn’t seem to be able to get my head around the set language studies of Latin and French and I seem to recall that British History was a bit of a disaster as well.
 
The saving grace was that my maths and science, trig and algebra were all at the top of the class, which I suppose suggested some hope of eventual redemption. 

Ever helpful Uncle Eddie, himself a life-long railway-man, suggested that maybe an engineering apprenticeship would warrant investigation, and perhaps serious consideration, rather than pursuing an academic course.  

Now, at the tender age of sixteen my understanding of engineering practice was near nil, but I did know that anything with wheels, wings or engines had great appeal.  My hobbies at that time included model aeroplanes and steam engines and bicycle renovation.  So the prospect of working with steam locomotives had some appeal. 

And so it came to pass. 

After going through the selection process I joined with about three hundred other young hopefuls in the intake of 1949, progressed through the practical training regime and later further engineering studies that led to Marine Engineering and Building Services employment opportunities.

Now, some sixty-eight years later, after happily working in my chosen discipline, I wonder what other direction my life’s course might have taken had I ignored Uncle Eddie’s advice and become a butcher, baker or candlestick maker instead.
 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Our Stories

    Brian's stories

    Picture

    Archives

    September 2016
    June 2016

    Categories

    All
    'Advice'
    'Faking It!'
    'My Other Life'

    RSS Feed

We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and pay our respects to their elders - past, present and emerging.
Picture
News
​Newsletter
Facebook Page
​
Program Suggestions
​CO-VID Safety

U3A Benalla & District Flier 2023
​Membership Application/Renewal Form 
​
Semester 2 Program Guide 2023
Semester 2 Timetable with Dates 2023
Semester 2 Timetable Month Overview 2023
Developed and maintained by members, this website showcases U3A Benalla & District. 
​Photographs - U3A members; Benalla Art Gallery website; ​Weebly 'Free' images;Travel Victoria and State Library of Victoria