30th June, news from John Somerville

G'day Padge,
great to hear from you, I will certainly attend any reunion that can be arranged, it will be great to see everyone again....

It has been 15 or 20 years since I went to the Old Boys reunion & caught up with Bo, Ric Frith, Ken Nishitsu, Ross Reid, Beet and a few others - I think you may have been there? A brief history of myself since 1968: Joined the Public Service & went to the ANU doing science (geology), spent my entire career at the Bureau of Mineral Resources travelling all over Oz & PNG managing geological / geophysical field surveys. I retired just over 4 years ago at the magical age of 54 & 11 months. I married in 1974 to Karen, we have 4 children, 3 sons aged 32, 21 & 9 and a daughter aged 30 who has our 2 grandsons aged 18 & 30 months. We have always lived in Canberra, except in the winter when we now head north to our unit at Surfers Paradise. I have bumped into an occasional Old Boy, Pete Davidson, Clive Davidson, Bruce Fereday, Mick Gee and others around town and I remember a reunion at Jamie Reynold's place at Araluen many years ago. My main interest (after my family!) is Bultaco motorcycles (due to Ric Frith), I have ~24 and have ridden them all my life since school as daily transport. I have been racing them in vintage moto-cross for the last 6 years and I am also pit crew / mechanic for a couple of mates who do historic road racing. I also restore my bikes. I sailed a lot until I married, something had to go so it was sailing (too time intensive). I kept on playing Rugby after school, for ANU and then Royals until I was 35, I still have a great interest in the game & religiously watch all Wallaby & Brumbies games I can. We are doing the overseas trip thing now, went to USA & Canada last year (2008) and this year (tomorrow) we head off to the UK & Europe for a couple of months so you were lucky to catch me.
Cheers for now, & g'day to everyone, it will be great to get in touch with you again.
John Somerville