Ya Gotta Have Friends!!

Thought we would introduce you to a few of the friends we have made and people we have met since we got here.

John Pritchett

JP as he is known, is a Brummie, and has been here in Oz for over 35 years, and boy has he done well for himself. A really great friend of John Rose. JP and his wife Barbara have been really good to us since we arrived, and JP in particular to me. JP has taken me for golf at Lake Karrinyup, the premier golf club in Perth, I have also enjoyed a couple of very enlightening lunches too, and look forward to many more.

I have met one or two folk in my life who purport to speak their mind, but JP is one of finest exponents of it and REALLY does speak his mind, no holding back.  
Favourite saying 'sensational'.

He needs to sort that genitalia irritation problem though, he spoilt the picture!!!

Barbara Pritchett

Great cook, I understand she was a very competent tennis player in her day, also plays a bit of golf.

Scottie & Alex

As the name implies, yes he is a ‘Jock’, been here about 15 years, very gregarious character, larger than life, extremely generous guy, very reliable, carpenter by trade, has his own business and works on the tools, He has a joiners shop based in Wangara. Has a very successful business, works and plays hard. Prodigious drinker, particularly a drop of the red, great singer, (ring any bells Roachy, watch out, you have competition), his rendition of 'Mustang Sally' would take some beating. He has inflicted many a bad head on me since I arrived here. God bless ya! Favourite saying 'I wonder what the poor people are doing today'.
Thats Alex his lad, proper lad, not bad at the Aussie rules either. Niamh reckons he fancies her!

Tammy (Scotties Missus)
Married to Scottie 13 years (wedding anniversary same day as Our Wend’s birthday). Great fun, knows how to enjoy herself, and keep Scottie in check (which is good news sometimes), loves to play netball, and pretty good at it, recently winning a local tournament. Works at the post office in Whitfords Shopping Centre.

Nice Balinese decoration don't you think?

Brook (Scottie & Tammy’s daughter)

Good as gold, has really hit it off with Niamh. 

Like her Mom or what

Noel Rigby

Massive Bolton Wanderers fan, (what a shame they lost 5-0 in the FA cup semi!!!!!) other than that he is a good guy!! He has been here for the last three months trying to get gainful employment with an oil Company, so he can come back asap, and have all his moving and living expenses paid for. Yeah, he is an astute bugger too. Great with the kids, keeps them entertained with all sorts of little games and word ditties. He will be missed whilst he is away, not least, ‘cus we will now have to look after our own kids, while we are at the pool having a drink.

There is an ugly rumour flying about that he is back on the 6th May

Peter, Julie & Cracker 

We bought our house from them, Peter is an electrician would you believe, and Julie is a serial house builder /interior designer. I think this house we are living in is the 5th one they have built.

Peter is my very own personal hire shop, as I don't have any tools here at all, fortunately he only lives around the corner, so I have access to more tools than B&Q or Bunnings, which is what they have here.

Julie really is a serious interior designer. He recent acquisition is a pair of giraffe chairs, not a clue, have not seen them. She has also had Peter painting some walls in their new house BLACK!!

As for Cracker, what a brill dog. He is just getting right after having chemo for a tumour on his nose, but you wouldn't know anything had been wrong with him, he has so much energy. I have also seen him reduce a golf ball to tatters in about 1 minute flat.

Sit still Cracker



'Where's that ball gone?'



Bob Crielly & Mary Crielly

Big buddy of Noel, also works in the oil industry, has been here in Perth for a few years now. Should be moving into his new house on The Vines in a few weeks, got a great pitch overlooking the golf course. Another Scot, there are flippin’ hundreds of ‘em at The Vines.

He and Noel are well known for winning every pub quiz they have had at The Vines. Now that Noel has gone, let’s see how successful Bob is!!!!!!!

Mary works at the local women’s prison would you believe, some sort of teacher there I think.

We went with her and Bob to see Michael Buble, it would be ungentlemanly of me to divulge what happened that evening. Mary, you owe me one!!!!



At the Buble concert



Louise Crielly (Bob & Mary’s daughter)

Our one and only baby sitter, and the kids love her, especially Niamh. Bit of a drummer.

Little Keithy and his wife Sue

Cabinet maker and all round good egg. Yorkshire man born and bred, been here in Oz, 20 plus years, worked around the country a fair bit. Loves his golf, is also the proud owner of two Love Birds, yep,  real ones, talks about it all the time.

Favourite saying, ask him anything ‘all good’
Recently had the good fortune to play golf with him, what a gent, competent at it too.


I'm watching you Keithy!!

 Susie is also a Yorkshire lass, I think, definitely the boss in their family, sorry Keithy!

Thailand Keith

As the name would imply, he likes visiting Thailand, for the cultural experiences that it provides!!!! He is there at the moment I think, hope he is ok, he only recently had his hernias done!!!!! Will probably need 'em doing again when he gets back!!!

Absolutely golf mad, loves to swim everyday too, lives in a fab drum overlooking the 18^th fairway on The Ellenbrook course at The Vines.

Rod Stewart looky likey.

Thats his 'I'm off to Thailand ' smile. Its very similiar to "I've had three pints' smile!!

Scottie

Another bloody Scotsman, works behind the bar, and until recently was our next door neighbour. He only arrived here a few weeks before us and has settled in brilliantly. He must, as part of his visa requirement, work in some farming environment for three months (don’t ask, I don’t know), which he will start in a couple of weeks’ time. Hope he comes back afterwards, he is always good fun and looks after us.

When he and the other Scottie start having a conversation, I swear they are talking Swahili, well they might aswell be.

No photo available, he's buggered off up north before I could snap him.

Alan

Our hairdresser, and ANOTHER bloody Scotsman.

Alan is gay, mind you he has been kissing Our Wend so often lately I think he might be contemplating going straight. What’s the opposite to ‘coming out’, is it ‘going in’? he needs to be careful ‘cus that’s how is trouble started in the first place.

Seriously, he is one of the nicest chaps you could possibly wish to meet, a truly good person.

And hey Richard (Shampoo), he can cut my hair in 10 minutes flat, you used to take 45!!!! Mind you he does charge me, ah well ya can’t have it all can ya?





Nice tat!!

Lisa, David & Issac

David is 16 and a really nice lad.  He works at  The Vines part time and on Saturdays helps Alan, our hairdresser at his shop.  David is one of the nicest young lads I have met, very sensitive and sweet and always smiling (Our Wend wrote this)

Issac, really nice courteous young man, manners are impeccable, always comes and says hello, fine handshake for such a young lad.
Lisa used to be part of the management at The Vines until she got head hunted by a pub that opened in Ellenbrook. By all accounts The Vines has suffered since she moved on.





Issac second from left, David third from the right. That's there Mom Lisa .

Brendan, Aisling, Jodie & Sean

We met Aisling on the first day of term at Niamh’s school.  She’s from Ireland, a little town called Cork, and she is a right laugh, everything is “fecking this fecking that”  She has two children Sean, (he’s in Niamh’s class and fancy's the pants off her, so Niamh says!! Little Niamh has a few admirers, so Niamh says!!) and Jodie, (good God she is loud), who is in year 6 – really nice kids and they get on great with our two.

Hubby Brendan, also known as Ben (no I haven't missed the r) & John, John is actually his first name!!! Not a clue, don't ask, but only in Ireland eh? Likes a drop or two, typically Irish, brill sense of humour, his one liners and delivery of them is just brilliant, smashing bloke.

Serg, Elvira, Aiden (yellow shirt), Joel and Zorro

Elvira is Mum to Joel and wife to Serg.  She lovely and has made us very welcome since we got here.  She owns her own very up market Beauty Salon, where Our Wend has already given it the once over and had a massage -  very nice!!!!
Serg is in construction, steel erection I think, he has just finished a fab house which sits right behind the practice field tee, brilliant spot. Loves his golf, looks like he may have done a bit of Aussie rules in his day.
Aiden very quite boy, doesn't say much really, not to me anyway, likes his Aussie rules, he is going be a killer with the girlie's in the next couple of years!
Joel is really good friends with Peter, they have played a lot together since we got here, lots of sleep overs etc, they are real good together.
What can you say about Zorro eh? Boss of their house.

Raani, Marley & Ella

Rani was our next door neighbour when we moved to Watervista Close.  She has two children, Ella and Marley – really great kids.  Rani is a super girl, she’s separated from the kids Dad, although he lives round the corner and they see him all the time.  Rani works full time in a pub in Midland, (she needs a bloody medal to work in Midland I can tell you – it’s FULL of nutters)!!!  We spent  Australia day with Rani and the kids and had a fabulous day. Her kids and ours spend a lot of time together – lovely family.

Jock

I know, we could have moved to Glasgow, it would have been cheaper and there are probably less Scots there!.

Jock (or Ian which is his real name) has the most dubious honour of being the first friend that we made here at The Vines. Top guy, real character, he has an estate agents, a winery called Jumbuck Hill (a very nice drop it produces aswell), and goodness knows what else, but I am sure he has plenty of other ‘balls’ in the air.
His past jobs include, working in a circus, think it was Billy Smarts, he has owned a pub, travel agents, property developer, landlord, the list is endless.

He has been here well over 20 years, and I think he has moved house at least twice since we got here, don’t know how many times he has moved in 20 years, he probably doesn't either.

Jock is I guess 65 ish, he is a serial family man, having at least two that I know about. One is all grown up and gone, then there is the one he has with Trina, are you ready for this?

Sean 10, Brodie 8, Jamie 7, Michaela 1!!!!!!
Perhaps some other balls would have been better off left in the air!! Rumour has it that Trina wants another one. Wonder if Jock knows.
I have another example of just how small the world really is.
I was at Jocks on the 24th April, partaking in his hospitality. I took a telephone call on my mobile and whilst on it, overheard Jock relaying one of his many tales to Little Keithy. What caught my attention was he mentioned the name 'Derek Sim'.
"Did you say Derek Sim Jock? Because I know a Derek Sim"
"Yeah" says Jock, "he used to live in Sutton Coldfield, but now he is back in Monifieth"
"I don't believe this, does he play golf?"
"Yeah, is is a very low handicapper, he also used to have a greetings card company"
"I don't ******* believe this. How do you know him?" I asked.
"I went to school with him!"
Derek Sim is a past captain at Moor Hall Golf Club!
Jock then proceeds to tell me that he had lunch with Derek a couple of weeks back when he visited the UK.
Then he rings him and hands the phone to me, and Derek gets me straight away. He tells me that he had mentioned to Jock during lunch that a friend had gone to live in Perth with his family. Of course Jock would not have a clue what my surname was, so didn't put two and two together.
I'm still flabbergasted now, just unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable.

No Michaela, they are fingers, your Mom has got what you want.

Trina (Wife of Jock)

Considerably younger than her Beau (yep and another Scot), I’d say circa 37/38.

Very quiet lady, mainly due to Michaela being almost permanently on the feed, if you know what I mean? Loves a drop or two of Corona, (Michaela will be addicted too me thinks), with the lemon in the top of course.

Keeps Jock in check too, and she may just be the brains behind the operation. Makes a mean pizza.

Where is Michaela!????

Sean, Brodie, Jamie, Michaela (Jock & Trina’s kids)
A picture paints a thousand words!



Michaela. Now where is Mom's right one when you need it?



Sean, Brodie and Jamie

Sean is a great all round sportsman, for his age, as for the girls, they are proper girlie and right cheeky little monkey's!

Darren (Dazza)

He is a Cockney, been here about 15 years, works for Telstra, the phone Company. He had Scottie living with him for a while as he and Tammy were having a break. Alcohol levels went through the roof in that time, but Scottie and Tammy got back together at Christmas, Darren has just about now recovered!!

He is a fine cook and loves his cars, boxing, scuba diving and golf.

Jackie (Dazza’s Girlfriend)

Great fun gal, she and Dazza have only just got together I think, knows how to enjoy herself. She has recently had her tits blown up, nice job too, but not seen the total result, I hasten to add, proper girly though.

Me and Our Wend took her recently to hit some golf balls on the range, but with exceptionally long nails and her new chest, (she said they were still a bit sore), hitting golf balls perhaps was not such a good idea, although she did get the hang of it towards the end.

I know the left one looks a bit on the large side, but they are both the same size honest. So she says!

David & Linda Hunt

Met David a couple of times in the UK before we got here, I was introduced to him by Bryan Garner.

One of life’s true gentlemen, he has been here about 5 years, perfect timing for him, sold his house and business in Leamington at the top of the market, arrived here when it was $3 to the pound. Built himself a magnificent home in Iluka, very near the beach, in the throws of building another one at the moment.

Have played a lot of golf with David since I got here, he has been playing about two years. We normally go to public courses, one is called Carramar, the other is called Hammersley.

David and Linda have become really good friends to us and helped us a lot since we arrived.

Linda has had a lot to contend with over the past two years, but recovering nicely. Has one of the most wicked laughs that I have ever heard, gives Our Wend a run for her money.

Has a heart of gold.

Midlanders!!
Peter and Niamh found these strange looking Aussies strolling around in the woods.

Colin & Jackie
Guess what, more flippin' Scots. Colin is crackers, Jackie is not quite so crackers.
Jackie is Mom to barman Scottie, and Colin is brother to Alan the hairdresser. Thats Colin in the earlier photo with Alan, he also has a nice tat. If you like that sort a thing!!




Loads a tats




The Girls


Micheal Bubblie (He said its spelt Buble, but who cares)
We went out one night and this bloke wouldn't stop singing while we were talking!!! Selfish Git.