St Mary le Bow

St Mary le Bow
For whom the bells toll

Sunday 3 November 2013

Shay Gap Western Australia

Like many other people I like to go surfing the 'net just to see what comes up that may well have some meaning for me.

Well yesterday I struck it lucky, I came across a site called Bingley Rural, "Good heavens" said I "have I stumbled onto the Netherfield Park website?" (those that know me know I'm an ardent Jane Austen devotee and of her  'Pride & Prejudice' especially); but no such luck.

What did grab my attention though was a post entitled 'Tyke down under' so I read this load of 'old cobblers' because that is what it is.

It's written by a man who calls himself and I quote, a "ten quid pom" to give authenticity to his tale of self aggrandisement; there is no such thing as a ten quid pom, the Australians are a bit more poetic than that!

We are "ten pound poms" (notice the nice ring that has to it), I know because I am one. I landed on the not so sunny shores at Station Pier Melbourne on a cold wet blustery Saturday, 7th April 1951, we should have docked two days earlier but the storm raging in the Great Australian Bight kept us riding it out, outside Port Phillip Heads. 

Welcome to sunny Australia.

Back to Tyke down under; he carries on about many things but one that caught my eye was his rant regarding the West Australian mining town of Shay Gap.

I won't say that the writer is a stranger to the truth but I will say he doesn't let the truth stand in the way of a good story but what he has to say about "Shay" is a figment of his imagination and to make him look the tough pioneer and 'good guy' to his chums back home in Bingley Rural.

In fact what he says about Shay Gap is so much rubbish and codswallop that I've decided to write some posts in the hope of setting the record straight after the tykes scurrilous attack on a fine little town and the many men and women like me who lived and worked there.


So for those of you interested keep watching!

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