you have to stay here

Growing up in Chilliwack....New Zealand 1957

In middle April, Mervin and I had hitch hiked from Wellington to Timaru....it was about 2 pm and we were in a pool room dining on a meat pie and a coke.....we usually headed for a pool room in most towns....that was a great way to meet people and get information....they also had food in most of them...usually there was a pub very nearby.......Find a poolroom and there would be an adventure by the end of the day....So we are shooting a game and I notice a guy looking at us...he seemed to be unsure and anxious..... then he came over to us and said are you two from Canada....I don't know what gave us away that easy....accent I guess (kiwis usually guessed American) when we told him ...Hey great...I'm going to Canada soon..He introduced himself as Warwick----...Well, right away we had formed a mini friendship.....Where are you going...... What are you ...and so on....you have to stay here ...there is so much I want to talk to you about...and so we did....he got on the phone...talked a while, then told us we have a place to stay...at Graham Edwin's place.....he can put you up....Graham was a radio announcer (apparently he went on to great things in Australia).......okay we can play another while and then walk over.....that was super. We had a great time...stayed at Graham"s and met some of Warwick"s friends....He even interviewed us for a local radio show featuring things of interest in Timaru...That was pretty cool...We were a thing of interest....I remember giving a pretty stupid answer that Mervin gave me a hard time for after the show...
In a few days Jim and Peter drove into town.....That was the plan ...to meet somewhere in South Island...They had driven down from Auckland...Jim had a 56 Nash rambler and it was considered as a very flash car...We had met Jim in Auckland (another story...another novel)....Warwick found a place for them to stay as well, they were bunked up at Don's.....another radio friend's place.....The freight ships came and went in Timaru...there were jobs to be had at the wharf.....It was called "Seagulling"..hey... that sounded okay...after a few mornings of hanging out in a lineup of men we were picked...like you you ...you ..and you....I looked pleadingly at the foreman...we all did...finally we all were picked after a few days.....what a great job......in the hold, loading wool...and other sheep related cargo....mostly wool though...jump in the fray in relays...pull a few bundles and ...ok...rest....what a deal.....it was fun working with those guys and being overworked was the last thing to worry about.....on the crew I was with they called me Buckley ...that was because of a radio add that claimed Bucklies Canadiall Cough Syrup was the best medicine going....Gawd its blinkin awful stuff.....put the bottle on the dresser and you are afraid to cough...ok..after a great time in Timaru ...we all leave in Jim's car...next stop...Dunedin.....and lots of adventures.....finally were back in Auckland and it is time to think about leaving......Pete is going to stay for a while yet......and we book passage for Australia....whoa....after a few days we do some serious thinking (we did that this one time) and decided not a good Idea....it will take to long to earn and save the money to buy a ticket home....Mervin has a serious girlfriend at home...and I did not want to stay away another year....so we decided to come home before dipping into that reserve we both had put away.....so we came home in June...in time for summer and a great summer it was......in October ,Warwick came to Chilliwack and stayed on into 1958......

August 2007.........50 years go by

......Jim is gone , Graham the announcer has passed on......I decide to try and find the whereabouts of Warrick ------.....I had looked a year ago and asked an email friend in Opotiki New Zealand for help.....nothing......nadda.....a few days ago I try a New Zealand people finder and Warwick ----- jumps out at me....I was looking for a "Warrick" ...rong spelling ....hey wot the heck I will again ask Gordon in Opotiki if he has heard of the address that I found....following is the rundown on trying to find Warwick....................

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