Non-fiction. In memory of my pal, Ted

In Memory of my Pal, Ted.

Ted and I had been close friends ever since the beginning of our working life and both enjoyed going to dances and an occasional horse race, mostly Picnic meetings. Ted had bought his first car, a black Prefect, about a 1952 model. We used to travel all over the Waikato to dances, to start with we would have a good evening on a shared large bottle of beer, graduating to two bottles each over the years.
I can recall one dark winters night, we were returning from a dance at Cambridge and were driving along the back road home, the lights went out, we drove very slowly to Morrinsville and then decided to ring my father to come and guide us home. While waiting for father to arrive Ted decided to try the lights again, they worked. We decided to turn them off again and never told my father, we just followed him home without lights.
Our first holiday after saving for the whole year was a plane trip to Napier, I can recall the D.C. 3 arrived in Napier in a very bad storm, we had to circle out to sea to drop altitude for the landing which was very bumpy and there were two very pale young chaps keen to get off the plane.
Our next venture was to the South Island, in the middle of winter, this time I took my shiny Black Austin A30, my pride and joy with a nine foot Arial and short-wave car radio. We caught the ferry across to Blenhiem and travelled south to Queenstown. Not taking advice from anyone that we would need tyre chains in the highlands we soon found it to be very icy and we got stuck a few times, no other cars to help, once we managed to make it over a ridge by one pushing and the other driving with the hand break half on. We did get snowed in at Queenstown for three days but managed skiing and ice skating going by local buses.
Another holiday, we took the train to Wellington and caught the ferry to Christchurch and hired a rental car, this time it was summer so we enjoyed the beach life, girls and sightseeing. I can recall staying in a central city hotel and one night decided to go to the movies, we needed to ring the front door bell to get back in the hotel, once inside we noticed the bar was still open and decided on a night cap, no sooner had we settled with our drinks the bar was filled with 30-40 people, still with their glasses in their hands, We found out that the owner forgot to tell us a certain code ring to get back in, the bar was breaking the law with after hour drinking as it was still 6 o’clock closing.
During the mid- fifties we both joined the Jaycees and enjoyed helping the community of Te Aroha for a number of years, also I seemed to be persuaded to become the librarian for the Boys Band, not that I was very musical but I did manage to sort out the music into some sort of order.
Ted and I decided on a holiday to Norfolk Island for our next venture but it took a lot more saving from our meagre wages, during this time Ted fell in love with Pat so that was the end of our next holiday.
We were both best man for each others wedding, then there wasn’t much time for communication for the next few years as we were both involved in bringing up families.
Sadly the Jaycees wound up the club but we still got together for decade anniversaries, the next one in 2006 is fifty years and I am one of the original members and of course now Ted wont be there to help with the celebrations but I am determined to travel back from my home in Australia to be with other members.
Ted will have to be content with joining the bowlers in the sky; I will always value his friendship we shared over the last 55 years….
Cheers to you, Ted
Regards
Your old friend, JIM