Way back in time, when I was about 26 years old and we were running a service station, I joined an Apex club in Mornington, Vic, and before long I was made the dinner notice writer. As a courtesy, I started sending a copy to the local paper and was soon asked by the editor to write a column for the paper every Sunday. This was the real start to my writing career!
Since then I’ve had a lot of occupations but always there was a magazine published. One of these was the Victorian Royal Eye and Ear Hospital, where I was the public relations officer for many years and produced a magazine every month besides liaising with the media and looking after the ladies’ auxiliaries.
A highlight of my time at the Eye and Ear was liaising with Professor Clarke when he was developing the bionic ear, which went on to give hearing back to deaf people around the world.
One of my longest spells was being a columnist with Caravan World magazine and I worked with some great editors while writing a monthly column about caravanning and camping all over our vast country.
It was while I was with Caravan World that I took a major role in forming the Australian Caravan Club and I was its president for the first five years. We formed many new branches throughout Australia during that time and they are still in good hands today.
When Caravan World sold to another company they said they didn’t need my services was given the ‘don’t come Monday’ story!
I’d worked for many years with Max Taylor when he was with Caravan World and he had left to form this excellent GoRV e-magazine so I gave him a ring and asked if he needed a columnist? He jumped at the chance, gave me the opportunity and I started straight away.
When covid struck, Max had to reduce his staff but l liked him and said I would write for nothing because I enjoy coming up with stories.
That has worked a treat but now I’m 92 years old, I feel I should leave the writing to younger people… unless there’s some juicy story I come across somewhere along my travels.
It’s been great knowing so many of you have followed my ramblings! Bye!
