​My most treasured possession is a Crystal Cabinet which has been in my Dad’s family for many years.   As money was short during the war years, it was given to my Dad and Mum as a wedding present from my Grandmother.

It originally came from Coventry when my Grandmother immigrated and settled in Bentleigh. I remember it being in our family home in Bentleigh.  It was moved to Cowes, Phillip Island when my Dad retired, to Coolum in Queensland when my parents moved there in their later years, was put on a transport truck and arrived back in Victoria at my house when I lived at Winton and is now happily residing in my current home in Benalla.

I remember sitting crosslegged with my two younger brothers in front of it in the dining room in Bentleigh, making faces into the mirror at the rear of the cabinet.   It was the one item in the house in which we were not to open or clean.   

On the top shelf was my parents' Royal Doulton ‘Raby Rose’ 8-piece dinner setting with matching tea set. Mum had purchased it prior to her marriage as part of her Glory Box. ​

When it was used on special occasions we were so careful not to break anything.   Those meal times were anxious times for us as children.    

On the second shelf was the Stuart crystal dessert set, sugar, cream with matching crystal spoon, a crystal cruet set with tiny silver spoons.
 
The lower shelf housed the Terrine set given to Dad following the death of his mother, as well as other nick nacks that had been collected over the years.
 
Following a visit to an antique fair, I rang my Mum and asked if she knew how much her Royal Doulton ‘Raby Rose’ dinnerset was worth as I had priced an identical cup with saucer and plate at $55.00.   Mum told me that my youngest brother had brought a friend of his around who was ‘into antiques’ who gave them $150.00 for the complete setting, adding that he was coming back in a couple of weeks to pick up the Crystal Cabinet for $100.     I was angry at them being taken advantage of and spoke to my Dad, telling him that I would like to have the Crystal Cabinet (I would pay them for it if I had to) when they no longer wanted it.  He agreed that it should be kept in the family.  Mum was not very pleased with me and contacted my other brother, who agreed with my Dad. It was part of our family.
 
Over the years when I visited my parents in Queensland my Dad would suggest that I take a couple of items he said he treasured and had put away for me to bring home.     I kept these items stashed under my bed as I did not have the room to keep them and I was so frightened I would break them.
 
When my Dad was in the early stages of Dementia, he rang me one day and asked if I would be home on a certain date as he was sending me a present.      A large truck arrived and inside was the Crystal Cabinet lovingly wrapped in paper and cardboard, waiting to be unloaded into my home.    I was so excited.
 
I rang my Dad and thanked him for remembering our discussion.  He said that he wanted to make sure that it was sent to me before he forgot about it.
 
When putting the precious items he had given me to bring home over the years into the Cabinet I realised that, apart from the Dinner Set and some of the nik naks, I had many of the items that had resided in the Cabinet when it was in Bentleigh and Coolum.  This brought tears to my eyes and I said a prayer of thanks to my Dad.    The main addition that I have added to the Crystal Cabinet is the set of War Medals my Dad earned in the Second World War.
 
I then sat in front of the Cabinet, crossed my legs and started making faces into the mirror at the back of the Cabinet. It is now home and my sons agree that it will stay in the family in the future.


Heather Wallace
March 2023

"THE MOVE NORTHEAST"

When looking at the heading for today’s “As time goes by….”, I was a bit unsure that I had any ‘Triggers’ in my life - then I heard someone whistle.
 
It reminded me of my Dad, and yes, I do think about him when I hear a whistle.    Dad was a quiet fellow, but he used to whistle when he arrived home from work when wheeling his bicycle down beside the house;  he whistled when he was working in the shed and also when he was nervous – that was a different kind of whistle, usually a made up tune – or it may have been a tune I did not know.
 
He used to whistle “Home sweet home” when he arrived home, and “Whistle while you work” when pottering around the house and in the shed.   I did not know how much I missed him and his whistling, till I travelled to England in 2016, was thrilled to hear my second brother, Les and his son Adam, also whistling like Dad used to.
 
The other thing that triggers my memory is the smell of cigar smoke.   I think of my mother’s father, Grandpa McIntosh when I smell the cigar smoke.    Grandpa and my mother were not the best of friends, and he never played a large part in my life, but I remember sitting with him on the porch whilst he smoked his cigar.    If I was in trouble or upset he used to take me out on the porch of the terraced home that he lived in, light up a cigar and I would sit on his knee and tell him my troubles and how I felt ‘hard done by’ even if I was the cause of the upset.   I remember him quietly talking to me, with the smell of cigar smoke in the background.    Then we would go to the park where he would light up another cigar watching, whilst I played on the equipment, then he would buy me an ice cream on the way home.    I always felt calm and happy by the time we got home.
 
I started to notice when I was growing up and things were difficult at times, I would smell cigar smoke and feel some sense of warmth and comfort.    Sometimes there was nobody else around or smoking a cigar if there were a group of people – there was just the smell of cigar smoke.
 
I have had other ‘Triggers’ in my life over the years, but these I remember fondly, with a sense of calm when the above ‘Triggers’ occur.
 
 
Heather Wallace,
November 2022

Over the years I have had a number of items on my bucket list, some I have achieved, some I will not achieve due to circumstances beyond my control, and a couple yet to be achieved.
 
Once I retired I felt as though I needed to reconnect with my family and one of the things that became important to me was to travel to England to see my brother and his family.    My brother, Les, was gifted with a beautiful Tenor voice, and having sung on Brian and the Juniors for a number of years and then a member of the Young Australians, was invited to study in England for 6 months.   He left for England just after his 21st birthday in 1972, never to return. He travelled, studied and met his wife, Brenda, a beautiful Soprano who he married, had a family and has made his home in England.     In 2016 the need to see him was constantly on my mind.   Together with my oldest son and his family we left Australia and I spent 3 wonderful weeks with him, visiting Coventry Cathedral which was dear to my Dad’s heart, went to 13 Coronation Road, Coventry where my father lived, but could not find the school to see the my father’s name recorded as Dux on the School.   It was a wonderful time catching up on 44 years of being apart.   We also took the opportunity to travel to Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
 
I also had another bucket list item which I was looking forward to.   I was hoping to retire at 70 years and my partner and I were planning to travel to a number of Formula 1 racing circuits in Europe that we had seen on television over the years.   We had already travelled to America to visit the Nascar and Speedway circuits as part of our work at Winton Motor Raceway.   Unfortunately my partner passed away unexpectedly and I was unable to achieve this bucket list item, however when I visited England in 2016 my nephew obtained some tickets to Silverstone, so I did achieve one part of my bucket list.
 
I have had a number of other items that I have achieved over the period of time, owning my own home and being very lucky to live reasonably comfortable in my latter years, something that I feel fortunate in this current world we live in.   I sit in my home, with my two cats and my bird and say to myself, how lucky am I.    
 
One thing I would like to achieve is to go to the Sydney Opera House to see the Australian Symphony Orchestra in concert.     This would be so wonderful to sit in the new theatre and soak up all the wonders that this theatre offers, listening to music by composer’s I enjoy.
 
To enjoy my life fully, one thing that is very important on my bucket list is to receive a long awaited letter from Royal Melbourne Hospital with a date to have my operation at last.  I have been advised that I am now on the waiting list to be operated soon.    Hopefully this will alleviate the pain I feel, but more importantly return full sensation into my hands and then I can return to some of the activities and drive again, things that have made an impact on my life.

 
Heather Wallace
​September 2022

Whilst growing up we belong to many communities – communities at school, the various job communities during our working life and social communities such as scouts/girl guides and sporting clubs, to name a few.    These communities have a lasting impression on our lives.     Even our families are a small community where the values and expected standards of life are expressed and examples set for us by our parents and peers.
 
I too have experienced the benefits and downfalls of living in a community during my lifetime, but have at last settled in a community of senior homeowners at the Haven Leisure Village where I now reside.   I visited the property, liked what I saw and bought my forever home.
 
When I first settled into the Village I must admit it was a complete change to the way I had been living previously.    I had been working seven days a week in a position that consisted of early starts and late nights and was very busy then moving into a home where I was now retired, could sleep in if I wanted to, read a book or garden during the day or just sit and watch TV.  The days were long and I was very lonely.    Then the community at the Village gradually changed my outlook and I started to ‘smell the roses’ and enjoy my contact with my fellow homeowners.
 
After a couple of months’ it became apparent that the homeowners were being ignored by the operators of the facility and were just accepting this as a part of their living in the Village.   It was creating ‘groups’ in the Village which was not healthy for any of us.   We did not know who owned the village, only contact was with the Managers.
 
Following some investigation, a meeting of Homeowners was called and I tabled information about the setting up a of Homeowner’s Committee which two members would liaise with Management and Homeowners for improvements, with the view of bringing everybody together and being involved in our future at the Village.   We also asked to be known as Homeowners and not residents.
 
There have been a number of changes in the ownership of the Village, but we are now owned by a Sydney company, with the two Directors making time to visit the village during the year, making contact with homeowners and the Homeowners Committee, giving us information about the future expansion of the Village as well as asking for our input regarding ideas the homeowners have for the betterment of the village.    This has made such a difference to the attitude of the homeowners who now been made to feel part of the village’s future.
 
A Community garden was established with brought like-minded gardeners together, growing vegetables for themselves and distributing the excess to the homeowners;     Happy hour was another initiative which gave the homeowners an opportunity to get to know each other.    There are so many talented people living in our Village.   Little things like moving the mailboxes to a safer place, creating more ‘green areas’ in the Village, fencing off the Caravan Park from the Village, erecting more signage have all been taken on board by the Directors and are now in place in the village.     A small craft group is in the Village;    a ‘games’ afternoon is held each week.   Homeowners now take an interest in their future at the village.
 
Having Owners who have made themselves available via Email or personal contact, who know us by name and take an interest in our pets and what we do has made such a difference to our community, and we all appreciate what a wonderful Village we live in.
 

Heather Wallace
July 2022

Trees have been a part in my life over many years.   It wasn’t until I was writing on this topic, I have realised that, over the years, trees have been my safe place in life.
 
When I lived at home in my early years, we had several trees in our yard - fruit trees, citrus trees, blackberry and loganberry bushes (not really trees).    Along with the vegetable garden these were very important in providing my family with food throughout the year.
 
The plants in the yard were tended to with great care to ensure that they were loaded with fruit which was used to make jam, bottled fruit, and swapped with the neighbours--not only to have more varieties of fruit, but to help those who were not fortunate enough to have trees in their yards.
 
Over a couple of days the fruit would be picked and washed, and then at night the kitchen table was set up for action.  Dad cut the fruit in half, my youngest brother would remove the stones, Mum used to neatly sliced the fruit, my other brother used to put these slices in the glass bottles, using the end of the wooden spoon to lay them neatly on top of one and other, and when checked that all was OK by Mum, I would pour the syrup into the bottle ready for Dad to put the lids on and seal before putting them in the pot to cook on the stove.  It was a team effort, lots of fun and we used to talk and laugh about our efforts.  It was even nicer to eat the fruit during the year in the desserts and cakes Mum made.   
 
Also, there was nothing nicer than coming home and being greeted by the smell of jam cooking in the large pot on the stove.  What good memories. The safety of my childhood home.
 
As I was the only girl in the street I always joined in with the boys, billy carting down the hill, playing cricket till dusk, riding bikes through the drains and, of course, climbing trees.   
 
We lived near a recreation ground and there was a row of pine trees down one side of the property.  We climbed these trees, going from one to the other, racing to see who could get to the end quicker, sometimes taking our sandwich lunch, sitting and eating them while balancing on a branch. Also, whilst hiding in the tops of trees, thinking no one would see us, we would drop bits of branches and pine cones onto unsuspecting people who were walking along the path under the trees.   What fun!    I would walk under the pine trees if I was walking home alone, either during the day or at night, coming home from work or a night out.  Nobody knew I was there and I felt safe.
 
Trees played a part in my later life.    When my partner was alive we used to stand under a tree on the property where I worked and lived, sometimes during the day watching the birds, cattle in the paddock, cars on the property, but mostly at night, watching the stars move across the night sky, both of us watching the world go by with arms around each other, another safe place for me.     A very special memory.    This is my safe place to be when meditating or thinking of my partner.
 
Yes, I now realise how important trees are in my life.  Thank you
 
 
Heather Wallace
​March 2022