Archive for October, 2011

Traditional Cooking

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011
Dear Peg and Friends,
While shopping yesterday I spotted something in a display cabinet that I hadn’t cooked and eaten for sometime. It was a ‘Pickled Ox Tongue’. These days it very difficult to find any offal, let alone a stand out item like this, ‘A pickled ox tongue’. Our current generation are very fussy eaters, mention the word tripe, and they will run a mile. So there is little demand for that food. In some towns that we have lived in, there even have been flourishing ‘Tripe Clubs’, all run by desperate people, who actually love this delicious dish, and can’t buy it, or even get it cooked at home.
Now our current populous tend to eat only, the prime cuts of steak, or perhaps mince. We even have a section of folk who don’t eat any meat at all, and are vegetarian. Recently as a treat for me, and knowing my tastes, daughter Lynn had purchased from the local delicatessen, a thick slice of cold ox tongue. It was covered in jelly meat, and this quickly became my lunch. I can’t remember when I had actually tasted something so delicious.
Remembering this, I tossed the tongue that was on sale, into my trolley. Remembering too what Granny had told me, and how to cook this item. Granny and her family had owned Hotels, and gave me many of the recipes for meals that I loved. Over a lifetime or more they always featured on their dining room menus. Some of are what our family still use and enjoy today. They cooked as well, all the obligatory roasts, but alway included the popular dishes I have listed, and what the public at the time demanded.
Meat loaf, spaghetti bolognaise, or a stew made from lamb neck chops. (Something for a long time, these were just thrown away). Many of the tastiest dishes I find are also the cheapest.
So I came home, and dropped the pickled tongue into a bouillon, added a couple of bay leaves, some mustard seeds. Two teaspoons of gelatine as I didn’t have a pig’s trotter to assist with formation of the jelly when I pressed it. It will require some two hours cooking, or until I’m able to skin the tongue, which is also the signal that the item is done.
I noticed in the same bin an ox tail, so I grabbed that as well. Ox tail is currently enjoying a comeback and renaissance. It too is now being featured by all our better restaurants. Goodness this is annoying. As all it has done for us, is push the price up. It has done the same thing with sheep shanks. Once, no one wanted this offal, now I find we are competing for it.
The cooking of Ox Tails, also a Granny’s recipe. It’s a two day operation but well worth the effort. Tail segments are trimmed, then boiled with an onion for a couple of hours, then stuck into the fridge overnight so any fat left on the tail will rise so that you can easily remove it, once it’s sitting on the top of the dish. As well, this will tenderise the tail. On the second day I add some chicken or beef stock, soy sauce, and a slurp of Lee and Perrins sauce. Also about ten whole cloves. You can add any vegetables you have on hand, but the cloves are the key, and must not be omitted. Seeing the tail has now become so expensive, I also add a kilo of stewing steak. It will pick up the essential taste of the meal, and no one will know the meal has been stretched.
My other love and a hang over from the past is a steak and kidney pie. The simple things are always the best
Love to all from Christchurch,
Wally
While shopping yesterday I spotted something in a display cabinet that I hadn’t cooked and eaten for sometime. It was a ‘Pickled Ox Tongue’. These days it very difficult to find any offal, let alone a stand out item like this, ‘A pickled ox tongue’. Our current generation are very fussy eaters, mention the word tripe, and they will run a mile. So there is little demand for that food. In some towns that we have lived in, there even have been flourishing ‘Tripe Clubs’, all run by desperate people, who actually love this delicious dish, and can’t buy it, or even get it cooked at home.
Now our current populous tend to eat only, the prime cuts of steak, or perhaps mince. We even have a section of folk who don’t eat any meat at all, and are vegetarian. Recently as a treat for me, and knowing my tastes, daughter Lynn had purchased from the local delicatessen, a thick slice of cold ox tongue. It was covered in jelly meat, and this quickly became my lunch. I can’t remember when I had actually tasted something so delicious.
Remembering this, I tossed the tongue that was on sale, into my trolley. Remembering too what Granny had told me, and how to cook this item. Granny and her family had owned Hotels, and gave me many of the recipes for meals that I loved. Over a lifetime or more they always featured on their dining room menus. Some of are what our family still use and enjoy today. They cooked as well, all the obligatory roasts, but alway included the popular dishes I have listed, and what the public at the time demanded.
Meat loaf, spaghetti bolognaise, or a stew made from lamb neck chops. (Something for a long time, these were just thrown away). Many of the tastiest dishes I find are also the cheapest.
So I came home, and dropped the pickled tongue into a bouillon, added a couple of bay leaves, some mustard seeds. Two teaspoons of gelatine as I didn’t have a pig’s trotter to assist with formation of the jelly when I pressed it. It will require some two hours cooking, or until I’m able to skin the tongue, which is also the signal that the item is done.
I noticed in the same bin an ox tail, so I grabbed that as well. Ox tail is currently enjoying a comeback and renaissance. It too is now being featured by all our better restaurants. Goodness this is annoying. As all it has done for us, is push the price up. It has done the same thing with sheep shanks. Once, no one wanted this offal, now I find we are competing for it.
The cooking of Ox Tails, also a Granny’s recipe. It’s a two day operation but well worth the effort. Tail segments are trimmed, then boiled with an onion for a couple of hours, then stuck into the fridge overnight so any fat left on the tail will rise so that you can easily remove it, once it’s sitting on the top of the dish. As well, this will tenderise the tail. On the second day I add some chicken or beef stock, soy sauce, and a slurp of Lee and Perrins sauce. Also about ten whole cloves. You can add any vegetables you have on hand, but the cloves are the key, and must not be omitted. Seeing the tail has now become so expensive, I also add a kilo of stewing steak. It will pick up the essential taste of the meal, and no one will know the meal has been stretched.
My other love and a hang over from the past is a steak and kidney pie. The simple things are always the best

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Motor vehicles

Sunday, October 23rd, 2011
Dear Peg and Friends,
It would seem over the years we never have had a fair deal regarding motor vehicles. Before the War we had access to both American and English cars. They were cheap at the time, when compared to other consumer products, but there was a small problem, not many of us had money enough to buy a car. American cars at the time tended to be muscle cars, as over in America, fuel was plentiful and cheap. They were a better buy too as they didn’t require the constant tinkering that the English cars demanded. I owned a four litre American car for twenty five years, it’s running costs were minimal, it required very little mechanical attention over the time I owned it. However I also owned a couple of English cars, they were a different proposition as they required constant attention.
They had another problem too, as the engines that were fitted to UK manufactured, units were subject to a horse power tax. To keep this payment low, engines were designed, not for efficiency, but to avoid this tax. One of the ways around this anomaly was to lengthen the stroke, which was fine for the tax problem but not performance. It wasn’t until the Japanese cars arrived, and I had been told that one of their models was based on the Austin A40. The Japanese immediately altered the stroke of this engine to ‘over square’, which decreased the piston speed, gave a much better performance and cut down wear and tear. At the same time they had built themselves a winner. They also solved the problem of leaking oil.
All fuel at the time was sold by garages, and these businesses was probably split 50% repairs, and 50% for the sale of fuel. After the war the American Vehicles seemed to disappear from our car showrooms. There were many reasons for this but the main one was, import restrictions. By limiting the number of new units arriving in any given year, it meant we were forced to repair our older vehicles, to well past the time to when it was practical to do so. It gave the dealers and those who held import licences unprecedented power.
With the ability to give or deny a car to anyone out in the community, brought out the worst in many dealers. For a new car many dealers demanded a ‘trade in’ at a price that they set, on a ‘Take it or leave it basis. Overnight they became the most hated section of the public, somewhere even lower than politicians. We had a army of mechanics keeping a fleet of ‘dungers’ on the road, costing the motorist an are and a leg. Common sense was telling you that all these units should have been consigned to the scrap heap.
The government of the day tried many schemes to limit the use of cars. On top of rationing the fuel, another idea was introduced, this was the ‘carless’ day, it was necessary to nominate one day a week that you wouldn’t use you vehicle. Another bright idea was that no fuel sold after 5 or 6 pm. None of these bright ideas saved any fuel. To most people they didn’t save anything, they were just an inconvenience. I got caught out badly on one trip to Invercargill. I where I had been invited to attend a conference. I arose very early in the morning. A difficult drive through snow. Arrived late, took Laura to the venue that was planned for wives, I was locked up all day. When I returned to my car at the end of the day I found to my horror that all service stations were now locked up. I spotted a dealership t5hat still had lights on, so banged on the door and the kind  owner reopened for me, and filled our car. I said, ‘I come from Queenstown’, ‘If you are ever in Queenstown and need a favour, I will be pleased to repay your kindness’. Fifteen years later I was in A Queenstown Supermarket and I bumped into Jacqueline Montagnat from New Caledonia. After greeting one another, we had a short conversation in French. While this was going on, I could see someone was watching us both closely. When we parted, this guy approached me and said. ‘Do you remember me’? I had to confess that I didn’t. He said, ‘Fifteen years ago you said to me if I ever needed a favour in Queenstown I could call on you’. He said, ‘I heard you talking to that attractive lady in French’. ‘I have a problem and need a French speaker for a small task’.
It turned out he had just moved to the area and his daughter who also lived here, had moved house recently too. They had two grand daughters over in France. They hadn’t corresponded for three months, and wouldn’t know about the new arrangements or phone numbers. Would I call their contact in France who only spoke French, and give them the new telephone numbers, and ask the girls to call home with the new numbers, ‘collect’? I said, Of course I would do this small task, it was a small price to repay the favour he did for me. But to wait fifteen years, made me smile about leaving favours lying around. I made the call to France and the girls made their call
The next big event in the car market that we enjoyed, was the importing Second Hand vehicles from Japan. We who had been starved for fifty years of any car bargains, now we had simply hundreds of near new cars at a very discounted price. We couldn’t believe our good fortune. But we reckoned without the dealers who did everything in their power to discredit these units. They weren’t properly serviced at home and so on. Tis was when they should have embraced  the scheme to take advantage of whet was being offered, they fought against it by not trading in these units, and many actually went bankrupt.
How things change, we now have access to a great number of both new or second hand vehicles, which require little or no attention.
Love to all from Christchurch,
Wally

It would seem over the years we never have had a fair deal regarding motor vehicles. Before the War we had access to both American and English cars. They were cheap at the time, when compared to other consumer products, but there was a small problem, not many of us had money enough to buy a car. American cars at the time tended to be muscle cars, as over in America, fuel was plentiful and cheap. They were a better buy too as they didn’t require the constant tinkering that the English cars demanded. I owned a four litre American car for twenty five years, it’s running costs were minimal, it required very little mechanical attention over the time I owned it. However I also owned a couple of English cars, they were a different proposition as they required constant attention.

They had another problem too, as the engines that were fitted to UK manufactured, units were subject to a horse power tax. To keep this payment low, engines were designed, not for efficiency, but to avoid this tax. One of the ways around this anomaly was to lengthen the stroke, which was fine for the tax problem but not performance. It wasn’t until the Japanese cars arrived, and I had been told that one of their models was based on the Austin A40. The Japanese immediately altered the stroke of this engine to ‘over square’, which decreased the piston speed, gave a much better performance and cut down wear and tear. At the same time they had built themselves a winner. They also solved the problem of leaking oil.

All fuel at the time was sold by garages, and these businesses was probably split 50% repairs, and 50% for the sale of fuel. After the war the American Vehicles seemed to disappear from our car showrooms. There were many reasons for this but the main one was, import restrictions. By limiting the number of new units arriving in any given year, it meant we were forced to repair our older vehicles, to well past the time to when it was practical to do so. It gave the dealers and those who held import licences unprecedented power.

With the ability to give or deny a car to anyone out in the community, brought out the worst in many dealers. For a new car many dealers demanded a ‘trade in’ at a price that they set, on a ‘Take it or leave it basis. Overnight they became the most hated section of the public, somewhere even lower than politicians. We had a army of mechanics keeping a fleet of ‘dungers’ on the road, costing the motorist an are and a leg. Common sense was telling you that all these units should have been consigned to the scrap heap.

The government of the day tried many schemes to limit the use of cars. On top of rationing the fuel, another idea was introduced, this was the ‘carless’ day, it was necessary to nominate one day a week that you wouldn’t use you vehicle. Another bright idea was that no fuel sold after 5 or 6 pm. None of these bright ideas saved any fuel. To most people they didn’t save anything, they were just an inconvenience. I got caught out badly on one trip to Invercargill. I where I had been invited to attend a conference. I arose very early in the morning. A difficult drive through snow. Arrived late, took Laura to the venue that was planned for wives, I was locked up all day. When I returned to my car at the end of the day I found to my horror that all service stations were now locked up. I spotted a dealership t5hat still had lights on, so banged on the door and the kind  owner reopened for me, and filled our car. I said, ‘I come from Queenstown’, ‘If you are ever in Queenstown and need a favour, I will be pleased to repay your kindness’. Fifteen years later I was in A Queenstown Supermarket and I bumped into Jacqueline Montagnat from New Caledonia. After greeting one another, we had a short conversation in French. While this was going on, I could see someone was watching us both closely. When we parted, this guy approached me and said. ‘Do you remember me’? I had to confess that I didn’t. He said, ‘Fifteen years ago you said to me if I ever needed a favour in Queenstown I could call on you’. He said, ‘I heard you talking to that attractive lady in French’. ‘I have a problem and need a French speaker for a small task’.

It turned out he had just moved to the area and his daughter who also lived here, had moved house recently too. They had two grand daughters over in France. They hadn’t corresponded for three months, and wouldn’t know about the new arrangements or phone numbers. Would I call their contact in France who only spoke French, and give them the new telephone numbers, and ask the girls to call home with the new numbers, ‘collect’? I said, Of course I would do this small task, it was a small price to repay the favour he did for me. But to wait fifteen years, made me smile about leaving favours lying around. I made the call to France and the girls made their call

The next big event in the car market that we enjoyed, was the importing Second Hand vehicles from Japan. We who had been starved for fifty years of any car bargains, now we had simply hundreds of near new cars at a very discounted price. We couldn’t believe our good fortune. But we reckoned without the dealers who did everything in their power to discredit these units. They weren’t properly serviced at home and so on. Tis was when they should have embraced  the scheme to take advantage of whet was being offered, they fought against it by not trading in these units, and many actually went bankrupt.

How things change, we now have access to a great number of both new or second hand vehicles, which require little or no attention.

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Advances in Medical Care

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011


We are living longer these days, well some of us are. A lot of this has to do with health care, our providers are just as good as they ever were, but the resources that they can now call on, and advances in health care have added at least twenty years onto most life spans. I remember when as a boy many folk were worn out physically, by the time their retirement rolled in, and they didn’t have much time to enjoy their Golden Years.

Various machines had a lot to do with this as well, taking over much of the hard labouring work. The motor vehicle could be included in this as well. As well, many diseases that plagued mankind for a millennium, were slowly being controlled, and cures discovered by the medical world. Tuberculosis on its own caused so much sickness and misery in the community, and it alone resulted in the construction of Clinics and Hospitals throughout the Country. It is only in the last 60 years that it has been brought under control, and this has seen the closure of these purpose built institutions in our life time. Also at this time bathrooms were being added to homes and basic personal Hygiene was also a contributor to better health.

The GP structure in the medical world earlier was a little different too. In the town I was brought up in, there were two medical partitioners, and the Friendly Societies Lodges played their part in making medical knowledge available and affordable. Members joined lodges mainly because of their financial benefits, and they played a major role in accessing medical care. When a member visited a doctor, and very family was a member of one of the Lodges, so their medical visit was then subsidised by their lodge. For this service Doctors received a lump sum from the Lodges, which would amount to most of his annual income. This scheme extended to the chemists, but I did note, that most doctors back then were walking pharmacies. They carried in their bags a basic stock of the most popular medicines to be Dispensed on the spot. Linctus something or other. A standard tonic, cough medicine and suppressant. And boxes of tablets, some real, and some just placebos.

The doctors back then also ran what they called ‘surgeries’ from their rooms. You didn’t need an appointment for this. You just turned up, and were taken in for a consultation, as and when it was your turn. You had to be seriously ill, or bleeding to jump the queue. The Doctors also made house calls afternoons and mornings outside Surgery hours which was a large part of their work day. The Lodge subsidy also covered this, but it’s cost to the people was still very affordable.

Back then there was a list of diseases that was as long as your arm, and that took some of us early. But many of these are now mainly under control. Some are still lingering on because of some folk’s resistance to inoculation, or some other privately held reason. Smallpox has been irradiated, another feared affliction was infantile paralysis, this too is now also under control through. Dr J. Salk’s Programmes. We seldom hear of typhoid or Cholera today, but not so long ago, these were names of something that was to be feared.

There is still much out there that can cause you harm But if can achieve as much in the coming 100 years as we did in the past the world will be a much healthier happier place.


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Service Flying

Friday, October 14th, 2011
Dear Peg and Friends,
In my last letter I described how I managed to get myself into the Army. It wasn’t my choice, as I’m not a physical large person, the thought of being involved in one to one hand combat appalled me, if I’m going to have to Fight, I would at least prefer to do it with the aid of a machine, where at least you could ‘out think’ the enemy. So for me, the Air Force was very attractive proposition. As well, I was already fascinated by Air Craft, the thought of flying one appealed in more ways than one. But then again, I had a small problem. My Father who was already in the Air force, didn’t share my fascination with military flying machines. He was more than aware of the attrition and the high number of accidents that went with the training of Pilots. Anyway I persisted with my requests, in the end he relented and signed my papers. For the record I never had any problems with the flying training. I had many close calls and encounters that could have ended my flying career prematurely, but I escaped harm, and was quick to put these incidents down to experience.
But I really should start at the beginning, after an initial interview when I handed in my application to join the Air Force. All air crew were volunteers Twenty one years of age, or with parents permission. Then I was given a set of books, headed ‘Pre Entry exanimations, and study requirements for the selection of Air Crew’. Even to get considered for Air Crew, every candidate had to sit and pass these exams. This exam it was said would be equal to a matriculation. However there were many in my group that had already sat and passed their matric, and they were struggling with the pre-entry exams. I volunteered in a military fashion, (We have decided on your programme, and you will do this) I settled for a combination of both worlds, I guarded Aerodromes at night for some hours, and then went back to school during the day. I had no trouble in passing their exams, and was immediately posted to Rotorua where the Air Force had taken over the whole town. It was headed for bankruptcy until it was taken over lock stock and barrel by the Air Force. It was a tourist town, and the one thing we didn’t have in New Zealand during the war, and that was tourists.
Council Chambers were given a new direction as lecture rooms. Tourist Hotels were reopened and taken over to give them a new life. They lifted the carpets, and they became dormitories for the young Airmen. Local Halls and picture theatres became lecture theatres. Exams became a way of life. Extensive medical and eyesight tests so they certainly had the healthiest bunch for our age group. Exams on academic subjects were given weekly to assist in their selection process. Morse Code was one part of my training I struggled with, but finally I could receive and send the pass rate of fifteen words a minute. The fact that I never used the code was by the by. Slowly and surely we were being sorted to what kind of training we were going to receive in the future, whether it be a Pilot, gunner, pilot/ navigator, or gunner/wireless operator.
As luck would have it I was selected to train as a pilot, and was immediately posted to Taieri to train in Tiger Moths with the object of gaining some sixty or seventy hours in this primary trainer. The Tiger was a basic trainer in every respect. An open cockpit, protected from the elements by a leather helmet, goggles, lambskin coat, pants, jacket and boots. Thick gloves made your hands clumsy. It’s instrument panel was meagre., Two switches for magnetos, Altimeter, Air speed indicator, needle and ball, compass, rev counter, throttle and mixture control. Oil pressure gauge, turn and slip indicator. And that was your lot.
Directional control was by two pedals moved by your feet to activate the rudder, and a column between your legs to control elevators and ailerons. Everything about this biplane was strange and unfamiliar. Even to how the Air Craft smelt. The dope they used on the fabric body and wings, the burnt engine oil.
The instructor asked me when in the air. Could I point out the aerodrome to him? I couldn’t even point out the nearest town. I was so busy with the unfamiliar controls, but gradually everything became right, and one day after about eight hours tuition, I took to the air on my own and solo’d.
At the end of this course when we passed out, we were sorted into for single engined Aircraft, Fighters, or Multi engined, bombers. Half of our course was selected to go to Canada and the other half would be trained in New Zealand. We were given three days leave and soon climbed onto a boat for North America. I was sent to service flying school in Ontario Canada to train on Harvard Aircraft. Now this was a powerful radial engined machine, Aluminium sheaved monoplane with a retractable undercarriage. When I opened the throttle I knew I had control of a real aeroplane this time. The noise was deafening, but it was surprisingly easy to fly. After four of five hundred hours, I graduated and was given my wings. I hadn’t realise it at the time but once I entered the Air Force I had entered onto a an educational programme and it never stopped. I benefited from much of this. In later life I came to realise what a gift I had been given, and I was very grateful.
Love from Christchurch,
Wally
In my last letter I described how I managed to get myself into the Army. It wasn’t my choice, as I’m not a physical large person, the thought of being involved in one to one hand combat appalled me, if I’m going to have to Fight, I would at least prefer to do it with the aid of a machine, where at least you could ‘out think’ the enemy. So for me, the Air Force was very attractive proposition. As well, I was already fascinated by Air Craft, the thought of flying one appealed in more ways than one. But then again, I had a small problem. My Father who was already in the Air force, didn’t share my fascination with military flying machines. He was more than aware of the attrition and the high number of accidents that went with the training of Pilots. Anyway I persisted with my requests, in the end he relented and signed my papers. For the record I never had any problems with the flying training. I had many close calls and encounters that could have ended my flying career prematurely, but I escaped harm, and was quick to put these incidents down to experience.
But I really should start at the beginning, after an initial interview when I handed in my application to join the Air Force. All air crew were volunteers Twenty one years of age, or with parents permission. Then I was given a set of books, headed ‘Pre Entry exanimations, and study requirements for the selection of Air Crew’. Even to get considered for Air Crew, every candidate had to sit and pass these exams. This exam it was said would be equal to a matriculation. However there were many in my group that had already sat and passed their matric, and they were struggling with the pre-entry exams. I volunteered in a military fashion, (We have decided on your programme, and you will do this) I settled for a combination of both worlds, I guarded Aerodromes at night for some hours, and then went back to school during the day. I had no trouble in passing their exams, and was immediately posted to Rotorua where the Air Force had taken over the whole town. It was headed for bankruptcy until it was taken over lock stock and barrel by the Air Force. It was a tourist town, and the one thing we didn’t have in New Zealand during the war, and that was tourists.
Council Chambers were given a new direction as lecture rooms. Tourist Hotels were reopened and taken over to give them a new life. They lifted the carpets, and they became dormitories for the young Airmen. Local Halls and picture theatres became lecture theatres. Exams became a way of life. Extensive medical and eyesight tests so they certainly had the healthiest bunch for our age group. Exams on academic subjects were given weekly to assist in their selection process. Morse Code was one part of my training I struggled with, but finally I could receive and send the pass rate of fifteen words a minute. The fact that I never used the code was by the by. Slowly and surely we were being sorted to what kind of training we were going to receive in the future, whether it be a Pilot, gunner, pilot/ navigator, or gunner/wireless operator.
As luck would have it I was selected to train as a pilot, and was immediately posted to Taieri to train in Tiger Moths with the object of gaining some sixty or seventy hours in this primary trainer. The Tiger was a basic trainer in every respect. An open cockpit, protected from the elements by a leather helmet, goggles, lambskin coat, pants, jacket and boots. Thick gloves made your hands clumsy. It’s instrument panel was meagre., Two switches for magnetos, Altimeter, Air speed indicator, needle and ball, compass, rev counter, throttle and mixture control. Oil pressure gauge, turn and slip indicator. And that was your lot.
Directional control was by two pedals moved by your feet to activate the rudder, and a column between your legs to control elevators and ailerons. Everything about this biplane was strange and unfamiliar. Even to how the Air Craft smelt. The dope they used on the fabric body and wings, the burnt engine oil.
The instructor asked me when in the air. Could I point out the aerodrome to him? I couldn’t even point out the nearest town. I was so busy with the unfamiliar controls, but gradually everything became right, and one day after about eight hours tuition, I took to the air on my own and solo’d.
At the end of this course when we passed out, we were sorted into for single engined Aircraft, Fighters, or Multi engined, bombers. Half of our course was selected to go to Canada and the other half would be trained in New Zealand. We were given three days leave and soon climbed onto a boat for North America. I was sent to service flying school in Ontario Canada to train on Harvard Aircraft. Now this was a powerful radial engined machine, Aluminium sheaved monoplane with a retractable undercarriage. When I opened the throttle I knew I had control of a real aeroplane this time. The noise was deafening, but it was surprisingly easy to fly. After four of five hundred hours, I graduated and was given my wings. I hadn’t realise it at the time but once I entered the Air Force I had entered onto a an educational programme and it never stopped. I benefited from much of this. In later life I came to realise what a gift I had been given, and I was very grateful.

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I join the Army

Sunday, October 9th, 2011
Dear Peg and Friends,
At the commencement of the second World War, New Zealand and Australia were both in perilous positions. They stood alone and in the path of the victorious Japanese who had brought the War to the South Pacific and so far had swept all before them. New Zealand was in a very vulnerable militarily position as all her able bodied young men, had already been called up, inducted into the Army. Currently they were fully occupied fighting in the Middle East keeping the Germans and Italians from capturing Egypt, and cutting off the sea route the Canal. This would close our food life line to the UK, who without the shiploads of food we were sending them, and  coupled to the effects German submarines in the Atlantic were having, they would soon be starved into submission.
We now had the Japanese headed our way after their incredible capture of Singapore, Thailand, French Indo China, Hong Kong, and the Malaysia Peninsula. The Japanese were a seasoned and a formidable force, who had been fighting in China for some years. So far they hadn’t suffered a defeat in their extensive conquests. But their lines of communication were now becoming extended, for this reason alone, they themselves were becoming vulnerable. Further they had also attacked the Americans, and declared War on that Nation, luckily for us, the Japanese now had another front to occupy them. This gave us some breathing space, plus an Ally who was also able to supply us with arms, and as well we were able to offer our country as a staging post and base. Our humiliating defeats so far, was brought about by very inept and stupid leadership, as we at the time outnumbered the Japanese.
Desperate times, called for desperate measures, and the New Zealand Government of the day now called up all young men starting at eighteen years of age and upwards. This included me. As an eighteen year old. I was told to report to the Dunedin Drill Hall, with a thousand other ‘odd bods’ for processing. I passed their medical exam, and was soon issued with a .303 rifle, bayonet, dress uniform, great coat, fatigues, Webbing, Glengarry, (I had ended up in the Second Scottish regiment) Back pack, water proof ground sheet, woollen underwear, water bottle, two pairs heavy boots socks, and mess gear.
In groups of eight we were each given a vintage Bell Tent (Probably saw service in World War One) and then marched over to the stables where we filled, or stuffed our palliasse with straw. It would seem the days of our pampering with home comforts were rapidly coming to an end. We were as green as grass, and immediately we were embarked on a crash course to turn us into soldiers. Marching, shooting, familiarity with weapons, more marching. Our only illumination at night was by candles set into the base of an old triangle bayonet left over from yet another war. This was stuck into the ground. Much personal time was spent improving our comfort. Looking for wooden boards to sit our palliasse on, and keep our beds off the ground.
As I held a heavy truck licence I was given the task of training some thirty or so, how to drive a heavy vehicles all with ‘crash’ gear boxes. Of course the big problem was, where to house all these men? Our Racecourses first came to mind, and we had many, all under utilised and they were  Exactly what the Army was looking for. Large kitchens and toilets, sufficient to cater for hundreds of race patrons, so ideal for soldiers . As well large covered recreation areas. So suddenly they were all converted into Army camps. Showers and ablution blocks were quickly built, so hygiene standards were maintained. One day many of us were ‘School boys’ next week, sitting in a grandstand listening to the medical Officer deliver a lecture and a warning about our sexual behaviour, and what could happen to you if you didn’t take precautions. That was a surprise to many who as eighteen year olds up until this point haven’t given much thought to the consorting with prostitutes, and women of lower moral behaviour, or even the enthusiastic amateurs. To hear our women described as cess pools of pus, was enough to put the frighteners on any young man.
Food was plentiful, but the cooks too, had a lot to learn, which they did. I never liked eating meat that had been cooked, about an hour or so ahead of time, then carved. By doing this, to me, the meat especially mutton seemed to take on a ‘Taste’ which I didn’t like, but this was a small price to pay against the ability to deliver several hundred hot meals.
It would seem a new life for me was about to take off.
Love from Christchurch,
Wally

At the commencement of the second World War, New Zealand and Australia were both in perilous positions. They stood alone and in the path of the victorious Japanese who had brought the War to the South Pacific and so far had swept all before them. New Zealand was in a very vulnerable militarily position as all her able bodied young men, had already been called up, inducted into the Army. Currently they were fully occupied fighting in the Middle East keeping the Germans and Italians from capturing Egypt, and cutting off the sea route the Canal. This would close our food life line to the UK, who without the shiploads of food we were sending them, and  coupled to the effects German submarines in the Atlantic were having, they would soon be starved into submission.

We now had the Japanese headed our way after their incredible capture of Singapore, Thailand, French Indo China, Hong Kong, and the Malaysia Peninsula. The Japanese were a seasoned and a formidable force, who had been fighting in China for some years. So far they hadn’t suffered a defeat in their extensive conquests. But their lines of communication were now becoming extended, for this reason alone, they themselves were becoming vulnerable. Further they had also attacked the Americans, and declared War on that Nation, luckily for us, the Japanese now had another front to occupy them. This gave us some breathing space, plus an Ally who was also able to supply us with arms, and as well we were able to offer our country as a staging post and base. Our humiliating defeats so far, was brought about by very inept and stupid leadership, as we at the time outnumbered the Japanese.

Desperate times, called for desperate measures, and the New Zealand Government of the day now called up all young men starting at eighteen years of age and upwards. This included me. As an eighteen year old. I was told to report to the Dunedin Drill Hall, with a thousand other ‘odd bods’ for processing. I passed their medical exam, and was soon issued with a .303 rifle, bayonet, dress uniform, great coat, fatigues, Webbing, Glengarry, (I had ended up in the Second Scottish regiment) Back pack, water proof ground sheet, woollen underwear, water bottle, two pairs heavy boots socks, and mess gear.

In groups of eight we were each given a vintage Bell Tent (Probably saw service in World War One) and then marched over to the stables where we filled, or stuffed our palliasse with straw. It would seem the days of our pampering with home comforts were rapidly coming to an end. We were as green as grass, and immediately we were embarked on a crash course to turn us into soldiers. Marching, shooting, familiarity with weapons, more marching. Our only illumination at night was by candles set into the base of an old triangle bayonet left over from yet another war. This was stuck into the ground. Much personal time was spent improving our comfort. Looking for wooden boards to sit our palliasse on, and keep our beds off the ground.

As I held a heavy truck licence I was given the task of training some thirty or so, how to drive a heavy vehicles all with ‘crash’ gear boxes. Of course the big problem was, where to house all these men? Our Racecourses first came to mind, and we had many, all under utilised and they were  Exactly what the Army was looking for. Large kitchens and toilets, sufficient to cater for hundreds of race patrons, so ideal for soldiers . As well large covered recreation areas. So suddenly they were all converted into Army camps. Showers and ablution blocks were quickly built, so hygiene standards were maintained. One day many of us were ‘School boys’ next week, sitting in a grandstand listening to the medical Officer deliver a lecture and a warning about our sexual behaviour, and what could happen to you if you didn’t take precautions. That was a surprise to many who as eighteen year olds up until this point haven’t given much thought to the consorting with prostitutes, and women of lower moral behaviour, or even the enthusiastic amateurs. To hear our women described as cess pools of pus, was enough to put the frighteners on any young man.

Food was plentiful, but the cooks too, had a lot to learn, which they did. I never liked eating meat that had been cooked, about an hour or so ahead of time, then carved. By doing this, to me, the meat especially mutton seemed to take on a ‘Taste’ which I didn’t like, but this was a small price to pay against the ability to deliver several hundred hot meals.

It would seem a new life for me was about to take off.

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Shopping

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
Dear Peg and Friends,
When shopping these days I have started the time consuming practice of examining each item while making our purchases, I’m doing what most people are also doing these days, and that’s looking for the origin of what we’re buying. Initially once you start this caper, there are many surprises. Logic today often tells you where most articles are made or grown. For instant, you are buying canned fruit. From day one in the past, it would have been New Zealand’s Golden Queen peaches or Apricots, grown and produced in Roxburgh or Hastings, put into a tin in a nearby factory. However I have the feeling that Roxburgh days as a canner are numbered, or even over. In fact the competition is so strong, that growers can’t supply fruit at a price too meet the stiff overseas competition. Would you believe that even the price of an empty can purchased here, is now is greater that product being landed here, even when they are full of peaches or apricots from overseas growers.
I picked up a can of peaches recently and read the label. It looked as good as what we are used to buying, but I was more than surprised to see that it’s origin was Poland. I also noticed in the meat section of the local Supermarket, a meat pack advertising ‘Best Australian steak’. I knew that a lot of Pork, probably fifty percent sold in New Zealand today, comes from Canada, and about a third of all bacon that’s consumed here also has Canada as it state of origin. However I wasn’t aware that off shore suppliers were major players in our lamb and beef markets as well. In fact they are the main reason our meat prices are so low.
Years ago we only ate seasonal fruit, and vegetables. Surplus eggs were preserved in four gallon tins, covered in a slimy liquid to tide us over the period when hens were not laying. However we all looked forward to seasonal changes. One welcome arrival was the ‘new Potato’, the first of this crop came out of our gardens, or perhaps a neighbour’s. This if it was Jersey Bennie variety, it’s arrival was timed to be around Christmas. They were never pealed, but only lightly scraped. These waxy potatoes When served with a large nob of butter were a food fit for a king. Green peas also made their appearance about this time. Yes, I know we have the frozen kind available today, and all year round. But they are a poor substitute for fresh green peas, just picked from the garden. The world today is our oyster. In the winter, produce is freighted in from anywhere in he world, so there is no winter as far as produce today is concerned. A lot of our spring and summer vegetables find their way here from Queensland, who grow solely for our market
The merchants play games with us too. If it is New Zealand grown, they proudly say ‘New Zealand grown’ but if it belongs to China or Thailand, no state of the origin is displayed. Or if it is, it only discovered after a hunt. I suppose the refrigerator has played a large part in how we store and keep our food. It was probably the main reason that we no longer have milk deliveries. Back in the good old days it was difficult to keep milk longer than a day so there was a real need for daily deliveries. Today we expect a week at least for this dairy product, and it would be hard to find a home without refrigeration.
Love form Christchurch,
Wally
When shopping these days I have started the time consuming practice of examining each item while making our purchases, I’m doing is what most people are also doing these days, and that’s looking for the origin of what we’re buying. Initially once you start this caper, there are many surprises. Logic today often tells you where most articles are made or grown. For instant, you are buying canned fruit. From day one in the past, it would have been New Zealand’s Golden Queen peaches or Apricots, grown and produced in Roxburgh or Hastings, put into a tin in a nearby factory. However I have the feeling that Roxburgh days as a canner are numbered, or even over. In fact the competition is so strong, that growers can’t supply fruit at a price too meet the stiff overseas competition. Would you believe that even the price of an empty can purchased here, is now is greater that product being landed here, even when they are full of peaches or apricots from overseas growers.
I picked up a can of peaches recently and read the label. It looked as good as what we are used to buying, but I was more than surprised to see that it’s origin was Poland. I also noticed in the meat section of the local Supermarket, a meat pack advertising ‘Best Australian steak’. I knew that a lot of Pork, probably fifty percent sold in New Zealand today, comes from Canada, and about a third of all bacon that’s consumed here also has Canada as it state of origin. However I wasn’t aware that off shore suppliers were major players in our lamb and beef markets as well. In fact they are the main reason our meat prices are so low.
Years ago we only ate seasonal fruit, and vegetables. Surplus eggs were preserved in four gallon tins, covered in a slimy liquid to tide us over the period when hens were not laying. However we all looked forward to seasonal changes. One welcome arrival was the ‘new Potato’, the first of this crop came out of our gardens, or perhaps a neighbour’s. This if it was Jersey Bennie variety, it’s arrival was timed to be around Christmas. They were never pealed, but only lightly scraped. These waxy potatoes When served with a large nob of butter were a food fit for a king. Green peas also made their appearance about this time. Yes, I know we have the frozen kind available today, and all year round. But they are a poor substitute for fresh green peas, just picked from the garden. The world today is our oyster. In the winter, produce is freighted in from anywhere in he world, so there is no winter as far as produce today is concerned. A lot of our spring and summer vegetables find their way here from Queensland, who grow solely for our market
The merchants play games with us too. If it is New Zealand grown, they proudly say ‘New Zealand grown’ but if it belongs to China or Thailand, no state of the origin is displayed. Or if it is, it only discovered after a hunt. I suppose the refrigerator has played a large part in how we store and keep our food. It was probably the main reason that we no longer have milk deliveries. Back in the good old days it was difficult to keep milk longer than a day so there was a real need for daily deliveries. Today we expect a week at least for this dairy product, and it would be hard to find a home without refrigeration.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Shopping