Hi Malcom, Fellow Newbie, Nice to know that you are putting your retirement to good use.My time seems to be spent between working with my wife of 48 years,Maggie, trying to keep our old timber home in a resonable state and keep our garden safe for walking through. When asked what the garden is like I reply,"It's Colonial Overgrown".We also have a pre-owned labradore who feel I have nothing else to do but take him for walks, but the excersise keeps me fairly fit. I dont rember much about the christmas parties at CentralFire Station as I was born in 1938 but I was the proud owner of a regulation cap that my father painted field grey to be worn by Adolf Hitler in a sketch put on at a xmas "Do". I was also not allowed to play on the billiard tables as I put a bit of a rip in the green baize top.
I've mentioned the Fire Service Museum in Melbourne down this side the world,well worth a visit to anyone passing through.One of the star exhibits is a fire engine built on the chasis of Dame Nellie Melba's limo which was rescued and restored. Cheers to all, Tim