A GREAT weekend, with a recent suggestion that it become an annual event.

GOD! Could we stand it ?????

A video was shot at the dinner on Saturday night and, when it is edited, it will be offered for sale as a DVD. All of the professional photos that were taken on Saturday, the Sunday plaque ceremony at the old Tin Shed site and the bus trip on Monday will also be available on CD as lasting mementoes of a great weekend.

Without interfering with the appeal and sale of the DVD and CD pack, this will be a small but a growing page as more stuff comes to hand and I think it's very fitting that we start off with the Grand Daddies of all March Past Teams, the one that performed on the beach on Saturday afternoon - the one that stopped the training squad of current members who stood and watched - and who applauded as the team marched off.

If you've got some personal photos or a story of your weekend that you'd like to send me (filo@picknowl.com.au) I'll certainly try to give it all a place here.

Pennant Peter Craig, Belt Terry Smallwood, front left handle John Carter, front right handle Barrie Bishop, left pivot Barry Maloney, right pivot Geoff Ellis, rear left handle Mike Rainsford, rear right handle Darryl Caruthers, rear line (left to right) Robin Stevens, Ashley Bahnisch, Garry Oxer, Mike Pickering

SATURDAY, 27 NOVEMBER, 2005.   FACES FROM THE DINNER.

The cover and the front leaves of the Guest Book (magnificently lettered by Robin 'Moose' Kidney) signed by all on arrival at the dinner.

Those attending from the first Bronze team.  L-R in left photo - David Presgrave, Dennis Conlin, Tex Kamprod, Barry Presgrave.

Frank Porter was unable to get to the weekend from Queensland. Reg Hartshorne deceased.

The mighty Max Gamlin and Gaynor Ireland. Many memories.                          Max and Peter Craig.

The Staggs, Judy and Gavin with Gaynor Ireland and Peter Craig.         Ashley Bahnisch, Don Henderson and the legend, Fred Green.

Joe Brown and Helen (nee Smith).                     Gavin Stagg and wife Judy flank Chris Hodges.

Surprise guest, Dennis Galpin's wife who just happened to be visiting from England that weekend, with Barry Maloney and Max.

SUNDAY, 28 NOVEMBER, 2005.   FACES FROM UNVEILING OF THE PLAQUE AT THE OLD SHED SITE.

Barry Maloney exercises old surveying skills and marks out the site under the watchful eye of Alan Highman

- original shed

- first extension

and second and final extension.

'Go away' (or similar words) were spoken by Max to young Junior Maloney who thought he might get a hand in at this point.

Ancient spectators at the Surveying exercise.

         The tribe fitting into the space occupied by the old sheds.

L-R.  Tex Kamprod,  Bill van Bronswijk (front),  Dennis Conlin (rear), Max Gamlin, Geoff Ellis (front), Mike Pickering and John Metcalf, (both rear), Darryl Caruthers (next to Max), Dean Bradshaw (held by Max), Dion Williams (red jacket), Geoff Hall (in front), John Syms  (back), Barry Maloney (front), Terry Smallwood (red shirt), John Carter (in shadow), Dennis Bousefield (front), John Surplice (centre), Gary Oxer (back, dark blue cap), Neil Hodges (under red cap), Robin Kidney, Ashley Bahnisch (back, sun glasses), John Minney (centre), Leon Eddy (front), Geoff Richter (glasses), Bill Hoyle (back, tan cap), Mike Rainsford (front), Fred Green (middle), Barry Presgrave, Don Henderson (rear), David Presgrave (almost hidden), Alan Highman, Peter Craig (front), Graeme Hallendal (rear red jacket), Bill Fitch, Robin Stevens.

Sunday Barbeque lunch in the new club rooms.

A pleasant walk from the new club (in the background) to the old site.  Spectators at the unveiling, Dot Maloney and Claire Lowe.

MONDAY, 29 NOVEMBER, 2005.   THE FABULOUS BUS TRIP THAT YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE MISSED.

The faithful gather at Middleton Beach.

Barry Maloney in a cap given to him by David Ireland who unfortunately did not survive to enjoy the weekend.

Max Griffiths and wife enjoying lunch at the Flying Fish Restaurant overlooking Horseshoe Bay, Port Elliott. An excellent venue and the old Pt Elliott members who joined us added to the atmosphere of the day for all of us but particularly for Fred and Audrey Green I suspect.

Fred Green and Terry Smallwood share a joke that they wouldn't share with the rest of us. 

Bill Fitch thanks Barry Maloney who organised and significantly funded the day.

The first Cadet member presents the first member elected Club Captain with his 50 Year medal.

Barry Maloney does the honours for Frank Porter several weeks after the big weekend when Frank visited Adelaide.  Robin Kidney looks on .

   Max Wainwright gets his 50 year medallion from Don Henderson at the club on March 5 2006.

Barry Maloney, Bill Fitch and Neil Hodges look on.

What has the weekend spawned and will these renewed contacts be maintained?

At least in Adelaide there is a core group who meet every second Thursday at the Flagstaff hotel. If you're in town and interested please come along for lunch and a drink with Neil Hodges (who insists on being MC of course), Barry Presgrave (when he's in town), Ashley Bahnisch, Alan Highman, Robin Kidney, Max Gamlin, Barry Maloney (also when he's in town), Leon Eddy, occasionally Terry Smallwood, Bill Fitch and Dion Williams.

Adelaide Tin Shedders meeting at the Flagstaff Hill Hotel. 8.3.07.

Back; Barry Presgrave, Dion Williams, Neil Hodges, Ian Hunter.

Front; Alan Highman, Leon Eddy, Guest of Honour Gordon Romain.

Bill Fitch took the photo, Terry Smallwood came later and the other Guest of Honour, Max Gamlin, was having a battle with his illness and could not come. Robin Kidney was absent without leave.

Do you remember the weekly callisthenics on Gordon's back veranda once a week? If you do you must be amongst the very early members. These were followed by swimming training once a week at night in Rivett's pool.

The WESTERN TIN SHEDDERS.

There is a hardcore group meeting in Perth whipped up by Dean Bradshaw, so he tells me, but no visual proof has been offered.  Mike Rainsford, Bill van Bronswyjk, John Syms and Peter Craig are amongst those who attend. Are there any others?

- and at last here is the (partial) proof -

Dean Bradshaw, Fred Green (visiting from Queensland), Mike Rainsford, Audrey Green (visiting with Fred) and Peter Craig.

- and I can't resist adding this one -

- Did someone say blind Freddie?   But isn't Audrey still beautiful!

The QUEENSLAND TIN SHEDDERS.

Barry Maloney, who now shares his time between Adelaide and Coolum on the Sunshine Coast, has whipped up an enthusiastic group up there also. This photo is from their July 2006 meeting at Tewantin. 

Fred Green on the left separates Max Griffiths, Ian Puddifoot and Grant Scotcher while in the front are Barry Maloney and Frank Porter.

Foreman Fitch supervised labourer Maloney who concreted in the temporary club-shed marker unveiled by Max as part of the Sunday morning celebrations This will temporarily fix the sacred site for all who pass.

The local Charles Sturt Council promises to replace this one with a more glorious edition as part of the on-going foreshore upgrade.

Gordon Romain enjoys a red (or 2). June 27, 2007.

Now patrolling that long beach in the sky - - -

**  Bob Warhurst; now training Junior R & R Teams on that long beach in the sky. 

After a long and involved, but futile search for 'Big Bob' (including the use of a Private Investigator) at the time of the Tin Shedders 50th anniversary celebrations, he suddenly and sadly came back into our lives last Wednesday when his death notice appeared in the Adelaide Advertiser. Bob died the previous Thursday, November 22nd, 2007.

Our last contact with Bob was probably through Barry Presgrave in the 70's and 80's when he was on police duties around Adelaide and frequently found Bob in the streets or parklands and 'offered' him a night of shelter and fine food at the Police Watch House.

For a time Bob relished the companionship of Jenny but after she died his life fell apart again. At the end of one bout of illness which took him to a major hospital the staff there advised the Public Trustee that he was unable to care for himself and the Trustee arranged for him to be taken into Aged Care. At that time a hospital in Toorak Gardens was being converted into an up-market care facility and, in a remarkable change of his fortunes, Bob was sent to the most expensive and, at the time most desirable, aged care accommodation available in Adelaide - all at the public expense for his last 8 years - perhaps the easiest years of his whole life.

Bob apparently revelled in this luxury and became the darling of the nursing staff. He was mobile except for the last few months of his life when he became a demon in a wheelchair. The cause of his death is not certain but described by his carers at the Monteith Aged Care Facility as 'just wearing out from too many years of (hard) living'.

Vale R J (Bob) Warhurst - 22.11.2007. aged 76 years.

**  Max Gamlin.    December 27, 1918 - June 16, 2007.
If you don't remember Max you're not a Tin Shedder!
Max came to the club in it's earliest days from Henley SLSC as an 'Instructor on loan'. He maintained a love of his first club but was never to return there.

 Max became the first Instructor, the first Chief Instructor, an early club Captain and, constantly, a driving force in the development of the club and the development of the young lives that came under his influence.
Stocky, with legs like tree stumps, broad shoulders and a chest covered in curly black hair, he could have been a frightening figure but he also came with a wide, cheeky grin which he regularly used - even when he was telling somebody off. Like many others, I learnt to be concerned when Max fronted you, grinned broadly and said, 'Let's go for a little swim.' You just knew you were in for a torrid time and whatever it was that you had done to offend him was about to be worked out and never again mentioned unless you brought it up.

Max mixed easily with the 'country squires' who were the power behind the club in the early years but mixed as easily with the young guys on the beach. His leadership skills, honed in his business life, were invaluable to the growing organisation and, later in their lives' to those same young guys.

Max suffered from poor circulation in later life, a problem which stressed his heart and precluded an operation which might have given him extra years.

His eventual passing on June 16, 2007 was a sad day. There is no doubt that he has another band of young followers now, on that long beach in the sky.

Thank you Max, from all of us.

**  A SAD DAY. David Ireland went on patrol along that big beach in the sky this morning, 17 November, 2005, about 9.00 am. Not unexpected as he had a strong fight with liver cancer.
He followed the development of the Jubilee planning with great interest, even though he knew he would not be part of the event.
Dave is remembered as a young, blonde, modern day Norse god, standing tall and straight on the beach. His successes were followed by many of his peers who strove to walk in his footsteps.

** We sadly advise Tin Shedders of the death of W (Bill) Maloney on September 6 2005, at the time the Tin Shedder's oldest member that we know of. Bill was one of the original group of local civic leaders who first endorsed the proposal for a club at West Beach. He stayed with the club for many years and contributed much in behind the scenes roles. He was the owner of the (first) West Beach Caravan Park and ran the picture shows that raised so much money for the club.
The first surf boat was fittingly named in his honour.