Rick Allen

Well the Bookmobile, Craig and I headed for St Helens Bookshop last Friday, setting up at 1000 we sat and mingled with bookshop customers under the brilliant hospitality of Clive and Veronica, the food was fantastic and the coffee even better. We did sell books, thankyou to all that purchased that day.
If you find yourself anywhere near St Helens Books 15 Pendrigh Place St Helens pop in for a great coffee or stay for lunch or maybe even a game of Sequence, played most days I am told.
1600 (4pm for the land lubbers) we set up at the St Helens RSL, soon to be joined by Dave and his assistance dog Flockie, we didn’t win any prizes with the raffle but we did sell books.
Accommodation was the Beachside Motel even got my Gold Card Discount, a few hours more at the bookshop Saturday morning and it was time to head for home.
Can’t go past my cousin’s coffee van at Scamander without catching up, Jo also serves a great coffee, you might like to try her Anzac Biscuits!

Well I’ve just returned from the Dawn Service in Oatlands, a great turn up for a small town
about a dozen vets gathered at the Post Office for the march to the Council Chambers where the service was being held( well I was pushed by my mate Paul, ex-RAEME Major.)
Then it was up for the Gunfire Breakfast, always a great turnout at the RSL, they out on a fantastic meal. Well it really was up hill, Paul lasted halfway then Craig took over ex-POMTP.

I have just finished my first pass on editing Book 2 ‘Hells Salvation’ next its listen to the book as my computer reads it to me, then 2 other passes through the book before it goes to Lesley for anything I have missed.

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Flags- Red Ensign, Australian National and on top the Thames Barge Pennant

Its been a while since my last Blog, a lots been happening since the passing of Dad.
The flags are back at full mast, I’m back working on the books?
Have been spending a lot of time on the model and have started editing book 2 ready for the last pass over to Lesley before going to the Publisher.
The loss of as parent is bad enough, but to have cared for him for the last 3 months was tough for both Lesley and I. It did give me time to talk and I must say, I’ll miss those afternoons in the HQ chatting about, well anything that came up.
I found he was more and more interested in how the model was coming along and I now find I take photo’s as I leave for the day to show him, this I soon realise is silly, its funny what the brain does?

For all those that are aware of the tradition-
My flags at the HQ today are flying at Half mast in honour of my father Jack Allen
Who yesterday at the age of 91 years and 354 days passed away in Oatlands Hospital, Lesley and I had the privilage to look after him fulltime since the 18th December last year.

My selection of flags has been the same for the last week, they are-
The White Ensign representing my Naval service of 14 years
The Red Ensign representing my Merchant Service of 23 years
And the Thames Barge Pennant representing where Dad started his Career serving on the Thames Barge ‘Tartaric’ at the age of 13 in November 1943 joining her at Chatham on the river Medway, whilst it was on passage from London to the Sunderland Sea Plane Factory at Rochester with fuel oil.
Along with these is the paying off Pennant belonging to HMS Southampton on which my Great Uncle George served in 1939

Good Luck and a Fair Breeze Sailor

I love you Dad!

It’s been a hectic few weeks
A bit of the black dog and then there’s
The pressures of looking after someone in palliative care
Anyway here they are, got a couple of hours with Craig and we managed to get the Airbrush going, even though we had to use my big compressor?
It certainly has been a huge learning curve and I must say having no patients does not really work when dealing with models!
But I can adapt, the end result is its a static model, doesn’t have to float, props don’t need to turn its just for people to look at and if its not exactly like the original, that’s easy, we blame the Indonesians, after all they retro fitted the Torpedo Tubes.
The antifoul in places is not perfect, we blame the Indonesians, and we all know some antifoul paint jobs are a bit slap happy.
A really huge thank you to my son Jack for the slab of Macrocarpa Pine, it really sets the boat off!
Next bit is to clean up the hull with the Boot Topping, work on the windows for the Bridge, insert Prop Shafts and Props, then seal the deck and paint it deck grey, make hatch combings, drum winches etc.Boy so much to do in-between writing and completing my Certificate. If anyone bothers to read these, just sent me a one liner in the Contact Me section of my website, just curious!

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Due to bad weather here yesterday (raining a constant drizzle in Southern Tasmania Craig and I spent the morning working on the Freemantle
Good to see it primer grey