Henry Winters YHS 1954 wrote: "The reunion at Woorabinda was excellent except for not having enough time to talk to all those recognisable. I missed so many and even lining up for the group photo, met some for the first time in the day. I was elated to find some contributions I had published in the 'Pylon' and one poem of the senior boys hockey team I played in I had forgotten even writing, but the memories flowed back. The venue at Woorabinda was excellent with the warm conditions and to make sure I can meet up with those missed, it will need attendance again in the future reunions. Two memories to share: The name of DAVID WALLACE also known as 'Jimmy', a nickname given based on a character in the mid-50s on a Sunday evening radio program 'The Goon Show'. (Recently dropped from the ABC radio but again being broadcast at 5.30am on Fridays after, no doubt, many followers' protests!!) In some broadcasts, but not all, a character played out by Peter Sellers would occur with sound effects of a splash into the water, followed by Sellers voice in high pitch "he's fallen in the water", thus character was known in the script as 'little Jim'. Now on Monday mornings in certain groups, there were replays of the previous night's program with comments on re-run, including sound effects and take-offs of the three presenters - Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe. Now it wasn't that David Wallace as 'Neddy Seegoon' (played by Harry Secombe) would say he had the curse of the Seagoons family - that of duck's disease; but standing in the group of the other boys in the form, he was a little shorter, and his rendition of the line 'he's fallen in the water' bringing fits of laughter from the group, earned him the recognition of 'Little Jim' - such came the nickname 'Jimmy'. There was also a rough and tumble game played under the large trees above the sports equipment pavilion which had different names, one known as 'Donkey'. It was a boys own game with two teams played in turn. The idea was one of strength and balance and the sides, from memory, required 5 or 6 boys each. The first to take the role of the 'donkey' was possibly on the toss of a coin? and each lined up with body bent over in line to provide their backs as a horizontal platform with ones head tucked in under the one in front's armpit. The other team made a run and jump from a line behind the donkey line-up and the idea was to all get onto the donkey or weigh down a person underneath with two or more in one section of the donkey chain so that it collapsed; but if any of the boys on the backs of the donkey chain slipped or overbalanced to touch the ground, the team underneath (the donkey) were the winners. It was then to change places until at the completion of morning recess, one team had more wins on the board. One enthusiastic organiser of this rough and tumble game was DAVID EDWIN WARE BROWN ('DEWY' to his classmates). The team jumping onto the donkey line would indicate where to land on the line to produce a weak link and thus collapse the donkey. A lot of times, balance caused the team on top to lose grip and slip down to touch the ground, thus losing. In that area under the pine trees with no grass and the ground well mixed with fallen coal dust from the old Yallourn Power Station A and B chain grate boilers with only basic cyclone dust extraction, the mix of perspiration and black dust made it a rugged game. FURTHER - One classmate of mine from 1C (1954) and 2C (1955) was Peter Bavinton. He became a teacher and when Canada were short of teachers in the late 60s, he applied, got selected , married and headed off to British Columbia in that order. I caught up with him earlier this year on his email. We caught up briefly with a couple of emails and were trying to meet for the YOGA reunion 2004 but I flew out after the weekend and he flew in on 2nd April (so we missed meeting). One of his two daughters lives in Adelaide and his brother, Robin, lives in Traralgon. He comes out regularly each AFL season to get a dose of his football team live (can't remember which one!!) and also visits his mother and family. He spent most of his career as a principal and is now retired and busy with his hobbies, including fishing. We were separated from classes in 1956 as I went into 3A and lost the in-class friends of the first two years, but came up with another lot of in-class pupils and maintaining the others at recess and weekend times. Peter lived in North Rd, Yallourn Nth and I lived in Morwell. I cycled regularly to Yallourn Nth via Latrobe Road, Tom's Bridge (over the Latrobe River) and into Yallourn Nth along the Yallourn-Tyers Road. Those days the traffic was low and most road users had also progressed from a bicycle to a motor bike before acquiring a motor vehicle - so courtesy on the road was given due to their own experiences.
I had for a short time competed with the Morwell Cycle Club (road racing) against the favoured Yallourn team (mainly Tech boys). Each venture to Yallourn Nth was racing against the clock to beat my previous elapsed time Morwell to Yallourn Nth but depending on the prevailing wind
and its intensity, times varied considerably and for this reason, the trip home was easier and not against the clock. Time in Yallourn Nth was spent yahooing in the bush along Anderson's Creek below where Peter lived in North Road. The magnificent bush of large gum trees and wattle had all disappeared by 1970.