General Chat

I never knew my relations whilst growing up - we were constantly moving - but rarely in Hampshire (where mums relations lived)
Mum's brother & sister also sort of resented mum, as she was travelling here & there (dad was in the Fleet Air Arm).

When my sister & I had children, we decided to be different from our mothers' generation.
When we could, we (and our children) met regularly, and holidayed together.
Our brother (the one with children) didn't live too far away, so we met with his family regularly.

Now we have grandchildren, meeting regularly is more important - our grandchildren are second cousins - they know each other like they were siblings.
'Family' is extended, it includes close friends, so it's an ever increasing eclectic gathering, and even the 'weird artist' uncle/great uncle turns up! :-D

Allan ................

similar to us, except that we have even fewer relations here than you do.

We left the UK in 1967, came here in 1968. We were the first.

My mother was already dead, but Dad was still alive, as was brother, his wife and 3 children. One of brother's children moved out here in 1976, but died 9 years ago.

OH's sister came out in 1970 "for 2 years", met a Swiss guy, married him and they stayed here and had 3 children ........... but they lived over 1100 km north of us.

Sis-i-l and husband are both dead, one of her children lives in their home town with her family, another lives in Whitehorse 2400 km north, the 3rd lives across the harbour from us ......... but could be on the moon for all the contact we have.

Meanwhile our daughter and family live on the Atlantic coast, almost 4500 km away ..... that's further than Perth to Sydney :-0


Not much hope of arranging a big family reunion!

Maggie,

We've done that in the past on a couple of occasions and it's worked well.

My niece wanted to stay at a place in Margaret River (very over-rated) but we managed to hire several chalets at a place called Evedon Park in Burekup, and the next was at Fairbridge Farm in Pinjarra which is about midway between Perth and Bunbury. Both were excellent weekends, but we had to organise them.

Not due to any family arguments or anything dramatic, but rather due to separation in time, I'm not particularly close with my brother and his family.

He came out to Australia in the mid sixties when I would have been about seventeen.

It took until 1982 for us to come out to join him. In the intervening years I lost my mother, my father came over here in 1973 and my OH lost her mother in 1975. I did have a couple of aunts alive at that time but we were in Cleethorpes and they were over in Lancashire, so basically we had no really close family to hand.

Then, on arrival in Oz, we did stay with my brother for a few months until I obtained work but even that was close on a thousand kilometres from Perth :-(

So the separation continued :-0 :-0

Oh goodness - we have family gatherings at least twice a year.
Sometimes these number 20+.
Usually once on a campsite and once at my sisters.
The worst behaved 'being' is my sister's cat, who, if not confined to a bedroom will attack anyone - and everyone! (unlike my perfectly behaved moggies) :-D

To ensure people don't 'stop for lunch', we have people bring food and drink.
ie. You are eating here - you are contributing to the food, you're not hosting it, I may be hosting, but I'm not a kitchen slave. .

...I think you may have to develop the 'death stare'...........

As for children misbehaving - eldest grandchild is a gorgeous 15 year old (16 in April), who has 2 much younger brothers. She has a similar 'death stare' to her affectionate granny (me) :-D :-D (we can make small children and dogs cower in fear with one look - and, I found out the other day, my 37 year old nephew, too)
She worked with the cubs (that her brothers go to) as part of her Duke of Edinburgh's Award (that she passed), and was asked - nay, begged - to stay on, as 'the boys behaved when she was around' - and not just her brothers :-0 :-0

...so no-one runs around wildly - not even the 'is he an uncle?' people :-D
(that'll be one of my elder brothers - an artist - he's your great uncle, harmless, but may stare in disbelief, discomfort or utter shock)

Jago and Amber are allowed a little 'slack' as Jago is a mad 7 year old and Amber is 3 and loves the 'madness' of her elder cousin - but their 'madness' has limitations, and is only available in Amber or Jago's house, occasionally in 'Grandma's' (that's my sister) garden, or the campsite.
Both know this, and neither like the 'death stare' (mainly focussed at Jago)

We are having a family gathering at a campsite this year (14 staying for the week)
One of the days will be an invitation to all family and friends, fancy dress preferable, celebrating our pirate ancestors.
This could number loads of people.
Usual invite - food and booze of your preference, if you're staying overnight bring at least a sleeping bag - communal space is available!!
Clearing up the following morning, breakfast, ad-hoc :-D

we had a big party at home for our 25th, none since ....... last year OH and I took a trip by ourselves to celebrate our 50th :-D

We held a big party at home for OH's 70th, and dinner parties in restaurants for my 65th, 70th and 75th. Nothing for OH's 75th, and we're going on a trip, just the 2 of us, to celebrate his 80th later this year.

:-D :-D

Thanks Pat :-D :-D

It won't happen again, Barbra, I may go up to Perth to see individual family members but the next time we will all be together will probably be at my funeral....if they don't stop for lunch first :-D :-D

You'll remember it though. ;-) :-D belated happy birthday

48 is a great vintage - ;-) :-D

Allan copy & paste this thread & then you will know who not to invite next year sounds uneventful really xx .better still you & OH have a holiday ;-)

That's okay you always feel hungry an hour after eating a Chinese takeaway anyway :-D

We've finished the salami and ham.

There is one dismembered chicken in the freezer waiting for cooler weather so that it can be converted into soup. There is also a kilo of frankfurters in there,. plus sundry bread rolls and loaves of bread

And with all that, yesterday we had a Chinese take-away for dinner :-D :-D :-D

Allan :-D :-D :-D

At least you won't be hungry for a few more days still.

:-D :-D :-D :-D

a around five o'clock the party started to break up. One nephew had brought his MIL with him and she was flying back to Malaysia the following day so they were heading straight back to Perth.

The rest of the mob were staying at a local caravan park about a five minute drive away.

So with the house in a mess but finally peacefully quiet we started to tidy up.

I looked in the fridge and there some cocktail frankfurters in there. On enquiring why they hadn't been put out I was told that they were for my son and his partner and her two young girls! :-0

I politely informed OH that the extra frankfurters for them were in the outside fridge. :-(

After one of our vigorous and forthright debates we ventured out to said fridge where we found not only the franks, but also the cold meats which should have gone on the platter plus the water and rock melons which should have gone on a fruit platter :-|

Ah! exclaimed OH, I wondered where they were.

She'll never know how close she came to finding out how sharp those knives really were :-D :-D :-D

Not him, Maggie, but his parents should have been more watchful.

The problem with my family is that they live in each others pockets and continue that trend when at other gatherings. At one stage they were all in the kitchen having a good old chinwag and totally ignoring those guests who were not from the immediate family :-|

Oh no - children running riot - and a 14 year old 'interfering' with your garden :-| :-|
He should have known better :-| :-|

It gets better, Jem, or worse, depending on your point of view!

Oh Allan .... it could only happen to you! :-0 :-0 :-D :-D :-D :-D

They know me to well for that line, Caroline :-D

The kids ran riot through the house and garden and at one stage I actually had to shout at the 14 year old great nephew for strewing some material we were drying around the garden. :-| :-|

We grow a lot of broad beans and each year cut the haulms down and dry them for kindling for the fire. These we store in one heap in the garden prior to storing them under cover. We made him pick them all up and put them back where they had come from :-D :-D

The annoying thing is that his mother (my niece) is a bit of a snob and lives in a very expensive house in Perth, and I'd give a penny to a pinch of snuff that the children are not allowed to run riot there :-|

Sad to hear about the vase, and looking at the gifts you have to wonder how worried the children's parents were when it happened....how will he react???

The best laugh would be if you now said you're a teetotaler vegetarian ...

:-D