Bored yet ????
1983 made the move to Hervey Bay, in ten years the economy had changed, John Singleton had sold
out to an American firm some 10 years earlier but remained with the company for about 5 years.
Hard times arrived... retrenchments....
1983 to the present:
My husband and I had hoped to establish a Stationery and Office Furniture business when we first
moved to Hervey Bay, but with a population of only 15,000 and two businesses of the same type firmly
established we decided to keep the Sydney business operating. It meant travelling back and forth some
1300km to see and spend time with each other, but it worked for us.
So, to keep me occupied I opened a children's wear store, there were none in the area at that time.
Six months later there was competition. Two years later I quit, swearing I would never open another business.
A very happy customer with his
Red Emperor.
1985:
Well, I was now free once more! I had time to 'trip' off to Sydney at the 'drop of a hat'. Life was great.
We had a nice home, lived in a great climate and wanted for nothing.
I took up golf, began with a 36 handicap and reduced that by 9 strokes in 12 months. Loved the exercise,
the challenge and the company. So much so that I was talked into standing for election as Secretary of the
Club. My handicap reduced to 21 over the next couple of years and I used to play at least 6 days a week
while I was home, even if it was only 9 holes. I was Secretary for a couple of years.
It was during this time that I rediscovered some friends I had made when I lived Fort Campbell, Kentucky
during 1968 - 1969. We'd lost touch over the years. My son and I travelled to Florida in November 1990
and spent 33 of the best days ever with them. It was as though the previous 21 years had never happened
and we took up where we left off.
After the golf club I went back to College to brush up on my computer, typing and office skills, that was fun. Not that I needed it, but it was a prerequisite set out by the government in order to obtain work. I actually got up in front of the class and gave a speech on my favourite subject... golf. No way would I have stood up and faced a group of people prior to this.
I was bored, wanted something fulfilling to do. So, I became Secretary for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for 2 years, an honorary position, but I met more of the business people of Hervey Bay, learned more about all aspects of general business and community efforts.
Again I was free for a while and was still tripping back and forth to Sydney, as was my husband tripping back and forth to Hervey Bay. Late in 1994 my husband (27 years older than I) suggested I create a business which would ensure me of an income in the future. He was getting older and thought it best to plan ahead so that I wouldn't eventually be eating into invested capital.
So, I started a charter fishing business, bought a boat in February 1995, had it refurbished and took out our first customers on 3 May 1995. We gained a reputation for catching fish. There was rarely an afternoon when there wasn't a group of people waiting at the harbour to see what kind of a day our passengers had enjoyed.
Every month the business was growing, at first through agents, then our reputation travelled far and wide through word of mouth and the only thing that ever held us back was the weather.
I could no longer take off for Sydney, I had to 'stay put' and run the business. Had to plan a vacation now and hope that I would be having it when the weather was bad so I wouldn't feel guilty about turning down passengers. I took 3 weeks off in November 1995, but left the Skipper in charge so that the customers wouldn't be disappointed.
I kept in touch with my husband by phone, because neither of us could leave our businesses (he had fired his manager) , and I was running a 2 man operation. This was just fine until after Mid August 1996 when I lost touch with him completely. By November I was panicking. Mid November I rang the ex Manager who informed me my husband had Dementia and had suffered with it for some time!
If you want to follow this saga it gets worse.
For those of you who don't check it out further, suffice to say I have lost my husband (mentally), I have lost my business, I have lost my independence, I am close to losing my home and I am just hanging on to my sanity by a thread.
Who do I have to thank for this, the N.S.W. Government!! In particular, the Guardianship Board of N.S.W. and most particularly Protective Commissioner and The Office of the Protective Commissioner in N.S.W.
Their criminal tactics in relation to this case will be detailed in whataboutmyrights. when I get the time.
They don't scare me, no-one can charge me with anything but telling the truth!