St Marys Church in Redbourn

Wednesday 22nd June - 2022

Hello loyal followers,

The other day I mentioned to a few of you that I would be attending Church with my landlady, it came as quite a surprise to many of you & deep down I can understand why.

Some of you even mentioned that I must have ulterior motives. Never...

I could not pass up the opportunity to attend St Mary’s Church, this ancient Middle-Age Church right here in Redbourn, only a couple of kms down the road from my AirB&B.

St Mary’s Church dates from around 1110 AD & is thought to be built on the site of an earlier Saxon Church that pre-dates this time. The building you see today is a Grade 1 listed Church & the oldest parts are the aisle pillars on the North side of the building & the tower. It continues to be a place of worship & prayer.

When my English landlady asked me if I would like to accompany her to the Church service last Sunday I declined her offer at first (I thought that the ceiling may cave in) then after serious consideration I changed my mind & agreed to tag along with her.

(Photo above) Toward the completion of the service you can see my landlady Kate in the yellow jacket, taking her communion.

Where else on earth was the “Squire from the Shire” ever going to have this opportunity to attend such an auspicious occasion to attend a service in a Church that is only 912-years young.

As any good ‘Trolly-Dolly’ worth his salt would do, I offered my expert experience to help with the tea & coffee service afterwards. Little did they know that I have served tea & coffee all over the world at 37,000 ft in a piece aluminum tubing.

Sunday’s weather turned out to be absolutely magnificent, what I did not know was that on such beautiful days they conduct the service out doors in the meticulously maintained grounds of the Church.

(Photo above) In this photo you can see the table already set up before the congregation arrives.

For over 900-years people have come to this place to pray, to seek peace, to sense God’s presence, to sit, to think, to christen their children, to marry their spouse or lay a loved one to rest.

I must say that I was truly humbled by this sacred space as a stopping point on my journey in life on “Warbo’s Magical Mystery Tour” this year. And just in case you were wondering, yes, I did make a donation at the contactless donation point at the main door.

That my friends is all she wrote this time around. Stay tuned for the next “adventure before dementia”.

Stay safe & look after each other.

Cheers

Warbo

The Hollybush in Redbourn

Monday 20th June - 2022

Hello everyone from ancient Redbourn, in Hertfordshire, my home base for 3-months.

Have l got a story for you this afternoon. How often do you go out on a Sunday afternoon for a pint of larger & a roast lamb meal with veggies in a traditional 16th Century Country Pub that has been around since the early 1400s? That’s right... if you can believe it.

This afternoon I called into the local pub, ‘The Hollybush’ (photo below) when l walked into this lovely old pub l knew that l was walking back in history & here is my reason why.

Before I’ll ordered my baked dinner & a pint of Carlsberg lager, I needed to go to the little boys room to make room for more, if you know what I mean. 

As l attempted to enter the WC I took one look at the door & said to myself if l don’t duck down here l am going to belt my head on the door jam & that means blood, the height was no taller than 5ft high. (photo below) & read the notice above the door jam.

The height of the human race hundreds of years ago was so much smaller than todays race, that is why the door heights were built so much smaller.

I immediately went out to the bar & asked the bar man how old this pub is. He told me that ‘The Hollybush’ pub was built in the 1400s. Get your head around that if you can.

That pub has been serving customers more than 350-years before Captain Cook discovered Australia in 1770, l find it hard to believe for a “Trolly-Dolly” from the insular peninsular that had a protected child hood.

Once I recovered from that shock, l decided to order my Sunday Roast Lamb with the full Monty, Yorkshire pudding, chipolata sausage, Sage & onion stuffing, a minimum of three freshly cooked vegetables plus roasted parsnip and lashings of gravy… are you hungry yet? All washed down with a couple of pints of Carlsberg.

Needless to say I actually rolled out of that 650-year old pub as l am sure many other patrons have done so over many hundreds of years.

You may think that a pub meal in good old Sydney is expensive, well l am here to tell you it ain’t.

* Roast Lamb with all the trimmings. 15 pounds = AUD $26.50
* Dessert. 8 pounds = AUD $14.00
* 1 pint of Carlsberg beer. 7 pounds = AUD $12.50

Total in AUDs $53.00

Thank heavens that I am doing this trip on the cheap, can you imagine if l was traveling with a handbrake & a couple of nippers.

l couldn’t help myself & decided that yes, l am on holidays so l also decided to order a dessert. Homemade Apple Crumble, served with cream, ice cream & custard. (photo below). 

Ken’s “Magical Mystery Tour” continues tomorrow.

I am going to visit St. Mary’s church here in Redbourn, that was built in 1110, so you will have to wait until l put pen to paper to find out all about that little number.

That’s all she wrote for the time being.

Stay safe. Cheers from the ‘Squire from the Shire’.

Warbo

Royal Ascot Event

Wednesday 15th June - 2022

These four photographs should put a smile on everyone's face from the Royal Ascot Event at the Ascot Racecourse on June 14th. 

Royal Ascot is the seasonal Event that is steeped in tradition of the finest horse racing, spectacular fashion, elegant atmosphere and a major splash of royalty.

Last week I was rubbing shoulders with HRH the Queen & her corgis at Buckingham Palace, yesterday I was in the VIP area of the Queen Anne Enclosure at Royal Ascot watching the Royal Procession pass by me at arm's length range. 

Not too “shabby” for a motor mechanic and a former sandshoes wearing ex-Garbo from the insular Peninsula. So what do you think of the ‘Squire from the Shire’ dressed up in his Top Hat & Tails at Royal Ascot yesterday? 

I always told you that I can mix it with the “Toff’s” & no one would believe me. Well here is the truth that nobody can deny.

The following is the strict Gentlemen's Dress Code for the Queen Anne Enclosure: Gentlemen are required to wear a full-length suit with a collared shirt and tie, and kindly asked to take note of the following: Jackets and trousers should be of matching colour and pattern. A tie should be worn at all times. Bow ties and cravats are not permitted. Socks must be worn and should cover the ankle. Jeans, chinos and trainers are not permitted.

I was within spitting distance of our future King, Prince Andrew & Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwell, that's her in the green hat in carriage sitting next to Charlie as they passed only metres from me. (photo above). 

What an exciting day I enjoyed yesterday, beautiful weather as you can see in the photos (25°C) mixing it with Royalty & ceremony. The Poms really know how to put on a show, only in England does this happen & I am so privileged to be here to experience such occasions.

What’s more I backed the winner in the third race. I placed ten Quid each way on Australian raider Nature Strip (trained by none other than Chris Waller) that ran out an emphatic winner of the King’s Stand Stakes. I was so excited watching the race I think I actually wet myself. In the end Nature Strip won by 4 1/2 lengths, shit it in.

You know I have been here in the ‘Old Dart’ for three weeks tomorrow, I really have not had a moment to scratch myself, I feel like I need a holiday already!

The weather has been superb, no rain to speak of. Beautiful blue skies without a cloud in the sky & the sun shining bright most days, how good is that. Please spread the word that every thing is going to plan so far with my time here in Britain.

Next “Adventure before Dementia” is to see multi Grammy and American Music Award winners and Rock N' Roll Hall of Famers;  Glady’s Knight & the Pips at the Royal Albert Hall in Kensington. (you're all too young, you wouldn’t remember them, Ha! Ha!)

Well folks that is about all at the moment, today I need to return my rental Top Hat & Tails to the rental store in Watford.

Warbo

The Isle of Man TT & Lotus Tour

Wednesday 8th June - 2022

Just finished a great 5-day stay on the Isle of Man for the 2022 Isle of Man TT Races. The Isle of Man is situated in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland.

Another iconic photograph (below) of John & myself boarding the famous Manx Electric Railway at Derby Castle. They use all original Victorian and Edwardian rolling stock for our ride to the top of the mountain to watch more TT Races. 

At 17-miles long, it's the longest narrow gauge vintage electric railway system in the British Isles and gives commanding views of the Manx countryside's stunning glens, picturesque villages and commanding views out to sea.

In the photo (above) I'm wearing my beautiful woolen jumper which is the most traveled jumper in the world, knitted by my girlfriend (at the time) Pam as a going away present, before I immigrated to Vancouver, BC, Canada in October of 1969 .

When I became a Flight Attendant with Qantas in June of 1974, I carried this jumper with me in my suitcase on every trip for 34-years when I was an International ‘Trolly-Dolly’. If you are interested you can read the story (Click here) about my jumper in one of my earlier blog stories.

This year's 2022 TT event was marred once again by five riders meeting their untimely deaths. Three Sidecar riders (54yo father & 21yo son) killed instantly at Ago’s leap & another sidecar rider killed with his swinger in critical condition in hospital in the same area of the track. The other two deaths were solo TT riders, they all know what the dangers are. 

In the photo (above) John & myself sitting on the hedgerow just down from Creg-Ny-Baa watching these daredevils fly past you only meters away at breakneck speeds of 170mph or 273km/h. Makes the hairs that are left on my head stand upright. 

All I can say is that it must be one hell of a high if you are fortunate enough to live unscathed from racing in this most dangerous motor racing event in the world, bar none. Since they started racing here at the I.O.M. in 1904 there have been well over 260 riders killed, scary eh!

Back on the British mainland, last week I caught the train to Norwich that is situated on the east coast of the UK to catch up with my Model A Ford friends. On Sunday I was invited to a local car show that was held at the famous Beccles Airfield also know locally as Ellough Aerodrome, approx 12 miles or 20km/h from Lowestoft where my friends live. 

The story is during the second World War the Americans built this facility in the hope that their damaged heavy bombers returning on raids over Europe could land there safely because this was the closest runway to the coast.

In the photograph (above) I am standing beside John’s 1929 Model A Ford Tourer, here in Australia we call that Model A Ford a Phaeton. Check out my TT braces holding up my jeans that I purchased on the I.O.M. very trendy don’t you think? 

Check out the Morrie in the background, you can own this fully restored Morris Minor for £15,000 English Pounds or in real money $26,000 AUDs, at that price, he definitely was not giving it away that’s for sure.

I almost forgot to tell you that when John’s son Andrew picked me up from Norwich railway station, I had previously made reservations to visit the Lotus factory in Hethel. Hethel is situated out in the sticks approx 45mins. south of Norwich. Duration of the factory tour is 3-hours. Great tour, however they did not convince me that I need to purchase their latest Lotus.

The Lotus factory at Hethel, UK

Definitely No Photography Allowed on the tour, that is why I do not have any photos of the Lotus factory or any of their latest vehicles. They employ 953 employees, produce 17 finished vehicle per day, hoping to build and sell 5,000 units per year. Definitely no Tesla production line.

That just about brings me up to date with my travels, I hope that you are enjoying my travels so far. Until I place pen to paper once again stay safe.

Warbo

Greetings from The Isle of Man

Tuesday, 2nd June - 2022

Hello from The Isle of Man,

I arrived onto The Isle of Man last night after my short flight from Gatwick Airport after a wonderful day spent on 'The Mall' outside Buckingham Palace to celebrate HRH's 70th Platinum Jubilee celebrations. 

What an experience to share with another 750,000 punters, this magnitude of Royal event will never happen again in our lifetimes. Thank heavens the weather was simply dynamic, blue skies, sun shining 20°C. Does not come any better than this in London.

Checked into our B&B which is only a stones throw from the circuit here in Douglas. This morning John & myself hit the road early as there was plenty to do before the racing started at 13:30.

At the Monster tent on the Isle of Man with
two future Mrs Warburtons

While walking around the TT pit enclosure today, I met the future Mrs Warbo, the only condition was that I had to take the two of these glamours, what do you think?

Tomorrow is another day track side, John suggested that we view the racing from the top of the mountain which l agreed with.

These daredevils are definitely off the planet, l have no idea how they do it (big balls) is all I can say, one mistake & they are mince  meat. There has already been one of the riders killed in practice a couple of days ago.

I caught the London Tube to Green Park station which is the closest underground station to Mayfair. 

Before walking through Green Park on my way to The Mall to see HRH, I decided to take a walk down memory lane to check out the Mayfair Hotel where as a Qantas “Trolly Dolly” all those years ago was our crew Hotel.

Me outside the Mayfair Hotel which was once the
Qantas crew hotel accommodation many years ago.

Only a couple of blocks away from the Mayfair Hotel is the famous London Ritz Hotel (check out the red Telephone booth) of which the British have not done away with.

Check out the crowd of people walking along Pall Mall (below). I took this photograph at approx. 08:00, proceedings did not start until 11:00, & as you can see the many thousands of people on their way to the Mall.

I am sure that you all have witnessed the TV images by now. Only the Poms can do this pomp & pageantry.

That’s about it for now, I am led to believe that the weather in Sydney is cooler than here on this island which is in the middle of the Irish Sea - that's a surprise.

Cheers for now from the ‘Squire from the Shire’.

Warbo

Greetings from England

Monday, 30th May - 2022

Greetings from England,

I am here in the UK for a 3-month stay trying to take advantage of nicer time of year and the Summer-like weather here in the Northern Hemisphere.

I have secured an AirB&B residence for my 12-week stay and I'll use that as a base for all my travels, tours and explorations. I'm staying in little village called Redbourn, just 25-miles north of London on the M1 Motorway.

I was so relieved to know that Her Majesty was delighted to see me the other day when I arrived here in London, she was concerned that I wouldn’t make it in time for her once in a life time Platinum Jubilee Celebrations due to the fact I would be flying on Stand-by. 

To save her any anguish I decided to purchase a one-way full fare ticket on Emirates Airlines not to let her down, so here I am.

The mood here in the UK is pure electric, everybody is so excited with what they have ahead of themselves for this once in a life time opportunity. I am also getting into the swing of things for this memorable occasion.

A little piece of useless information for you: It is almost 50-years since I first set foot in the ‘Old Dart’ with my girlfriend Pam, we travelled the world together for 3-years in our VW Camper van.

Pam and I arrived in downtown London on the 6th July, 1971, the very day that Jazz trumpter Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong passed away. A hell of a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then & to think that Her Majesty has been on the Throne for another 20-years before that. Where did all those years go?

Keep your eyes open for me on Thursday the 2nd July, I will be on the Union Jack lined boulevard, better know as The Mall, adjacent to St James Park, with another 1,000,000 punters, for the Trooping of the Colour, the Birthday Parade and the impressive Royal flyover of 70 aircraft.

I will be easily recognisable when you're watching the BBC coverage, I'll wearing my blue Model A Ford hat.

Following the pomp & ceremony of the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations my mate John & I will be flying on EasyJet across the Irish Sea to the Isle of Man for the annual Isle of Man TT Motorcycle races, can’t wait.

Stay tuned for more “Adventure before Dementia”.

Cheers from the “Royal Squire from the Shire”.

Stay safe,

Warbo

Fletch's You Tube coverage of our Car Show

Check out Fletch's awesome coverage of our 2022 Sylvanvale Pre-WWII Vintage Car Show at Sutherland on Fletch's Shannons You Tube channel.

Let's drive up the number of views on this video, so please feel free to share it with all your friends or re-post it.

Charge of the 'Flight Brigade'

Thursday 7th April - 2022

To all our dedicated Qantas Car Show volunteers.

A little over 2-weeks ago here in the 'Shire' we experienced a spectacular community event in Sutherland with the 6th Annual Sylvanvale Pre-WWll Vintage Car Show.

As everyone already knows that our event on Sunday the 20th March, 2022 was a resounding success due to many things, none more important than the support that we received from the Qantas volunteers (past & present) who rolled their sleeves up to join the Sylvanvale team to deliver our most successful fundraising event to date.

Qantas Volunteers all hard at work, spreading goodwill
and supporting Sylvanvale. Photos: John Stanley

Apart from the magnificent Pre-WWll Vintage vehicles that were on display to the public in Sutherland I am very proud to say that the professionalism that you all brought to the show did not go unnoticed by me or the hundreds if not thousands of people that attended our extravaganza on that magnificent day.

I would like you all to know that so far I have not received one negative comment about the show, the feedback is overwhelming in our favor.

Yesterday I was approached by one of my neighbours here on the insular peninsula here in Burraneer, I really do not know him from a bar of soap only that he lives in the same street, he said "Aren't you the guy that put that car show together?" so I listened to what he had to say.

The first thing that he said to me was "Where on earth did you get your volunteers?". He said from the moment he & his family entered the venue in Sutherland they were so impressed, the welcome that they received was unbelievable, they only intended to cruise the car park to check out the Vintage Vehicles for an hour or so & ended up spending three & a half hours there. How good is that?

QF Volunteers collecting Show admission fees at
our Main Gate entrance. Photo: John Bateman

I was also approached by a lady the other day who had nothing but praise for all of your performances & it really was a performance. She mentioned that while she was actually waiting in the queue to pay her $5.00 entry, there were two kids that wanted to see the show & did not realise there was an entry fee of $5.00. (they had no money). Whoever it was at that entrance they allowed those two kids to enter free of charge.

She was so impressed that she placed $20.00 in the kitty & did not want any change. Needless to say those two kids will be fans of ours forever & undoubtable will spread the word far & wide, great publicity.

Two of my cars & the Color Tiles teardrop banners
and trophies on display. Photo: Steve Core

I have been retired from Qantas Airways for 15-years now. Seems like another lifetime ago.

I am here to tell you that I am so proud & privileged to still know & be friends with so many people that I spent 34-years of my life flying around the world with to be part of that wonderful organisation (Qantas) that gave us all so much in life's lessons.

From the bottom of my heart, thanks very much for supporting Sylvanvale at this year's Pre-WWll Vintage Car Show to make it the spectacular success that it was. If you have not already heard through the grapevine we were delighted to have raised a tad over $30K.

With improvements & massaging certain avenues of our show there is absolutely no reason why next year we can't raise $50K.

News hot off the Press, I have decided to move our 7th Annual Sylvanvale Pre-WWll Vintage Car Show from the month of March to Sunday the 17th of September 2023 due to concerns that March is the wettest month of the year, without the weather on our side it just makes the success of the show almost impossible.

Please note in your Papyrus diaries that proposed date for next year's show. (Sunday September 17th '23).

I am looking forward to meeting up with you all next year.

Thanks once again, stay safe & never forget my motto:

"Adventure before Dementia."

Yours sincerely

Ken Warburton. 

(Event organiser & Custodian)

Our Car Show goes off with a Bang... not a whimper

Wednesday 23rd March - 2022

Hello everyone,

It is with great pleasure that I sit down here in my office & report to you all (via email) the day after our Sylvanvale Pre-WWll Vintage Car Show that was delivered as promised to the people of the Sutherland Shire & Sydney was nothing short of a spectacular success.

We were absolutely blessed with perfect weather on Sunday for our extravaganza. It was 27°C (80°F), magnificent blue skies, no wind & the sun shone all day.

The main aim of our Car Show is raise vital funds for Sylvanvale to improve the lives of people living with disability.

We love this shot, Sylvanvale resident Xavier enjoys sitting in the passenger
seat of this classic open air tourer.

Photo: Steve Core

For those of you that for one reason or the other couldn't make it on Sunday you definitely missed out on a truly memorable community event here in the Shire.

We managed to fill the huge Council car park in Sutherland with Pre-WWll Vintage & Classic motor vehicles to the delight of the many thousands of eager spectators that strolled through the venue from early morning until the presentation of the well deserved trophy winners around 3:00pm.

As everyone knows, this year we decided to relocate from Cronulla to Sutherland because we had outgrown the mall in Cronulla. This was of major concern to me, I was betwixt & between about this major change of venue.

Our Show presents a spectacular opportunity for
show-goers to get really close up looks at cars they
would never see out on the public streets.

Like this 1923 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.

Photo: Steve Core

Everything is easy in hindsight, however I am here to tell you that our new venue here in Sutherland went off with a bang. I have received so much positive feedback from everyone that I am completely over the moon. Rest assured we are not going anywhere from this perfect location.

I think that the major plus is that there is heaps of parking for the general public, with easy access & departure for the Vintage Car entrants. This year I was so impressed with the inclusion of many new entrants to exhibit their pride & joy here in the Shire.

As a matter of fact, after the trophy presentation everybody's friend 'Fletch' from Classic Resto's wanted to say a few words about the show.

Fletch and Warbo at the trophy presentation, Fletch had some

astute compliments and observations to say about about our Show

Photo: John Stanley

What 'Fletch' said completely blew me away, he mentioned that over the years he has covered many car shows both here in Australia & overseas & here is the money line.

"The quality & variance of the Vintage vehicles on display here today would match Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California, USA."

We should all be very proud of ourselves that we have this quality of participation in our ranks here in Sydney & beyond & guess what it can only get better. I can't wait to see his coverage of our show on Sunday. I will let you all know when & where to watch his presentation. I believe it will take approximately 5-weeks from now before it hits our screens.

VIPs Left to Right:

Mayor of the Sutherland Shire, Carmelo Pesce. CEO of Sylvanvale, Leanne Fretton. Car Show founder & Custodian, Ken Warburton and Miranda MP, Eleni Petinos.

Photo: Steve Core

As soon as I find out the final finance figures I will let everyone know in a more detailed newsletter.

So until then I will take this opportunity to sincerely thank from the bottom of my heart all the people that helped us make this event the success that it was on Sunday.

We couldn't possibly have done it without the participation of the magnificent Vintage vehicles & their proud owners taking their time & effort to support us once again this year, many thanks.

With the sun shining brightly on Show day,
the colours on the cars really popped.
Like this 1936 Chevrolet Business Roadster
Photo: Steve Core

I would also like to give a big thank you to the guys here in my engine room that worked tirelessly to put this spectacular together & make it the success that it was.

Major thanks go out to all of the Sylvanvale employees, sponsors and volunteers, Steampunk Sydney, the Sydney Tramway Museum at Loftus for their double decker bus, all the musicians that performed from the Caringbah Music School, the Chrysler Restorers Club members for the effort they made to bring us the BBQ. How good were the scrumptious bacon & egg rolls for the early bird arrivals & then later in the day with steak sandwiches & sausage sandwiches for lunch.

I also want to thank those to made the effort to dress in period-style outfits to help create the atmosphere we created on the day. Hang in there, in my next report I will let you know who the lucky winner was for my choice of "Best car of the Show" & the winners of the Raffles.

Until then, stay safe.

Regards

Ken Warburton

NB. I almost forgot to mention the many thousands of people that showed up in their droves on Sunday to check out these wonderful vintage vehicles that were on display from a bye-gone era & gave generously to buy raffle tickets to support our very worthy cause. Many thanks indeed.

Stay tuned for more reports & photos to follow...

Only 3 sleeps to go...

Thursday 17th March - 2022

Now we're getting into the very thin end of the countdown wedge. Just three more sleeps to go until the 2022 Sylvanvale Pre-WWII Vintage Car Show on Sunday the 20th, March.

Besides, we're actually now game enough to look at the weather forecast for Sunday and the BOM is predicting that it's going to be 26°C and partly cloudy. Wow - considering all the adverse weather we've had in Sydney, we'll take that hands down. So stow away that Rain-X repellant spray bottle, you won't be needing it.

Our vehicle entry count still keeps ticking up every day and we'll accept entries right up until Show time and better yet, anyone that has a car that qualifies can just roll up on the day. We'll find a spot for you.

The prestige of our event is reflected in the fact that there are trophies up for grabs in every category of vehicle on display, plus $200 for the vehicle that wins the head judge's nod for the coveted 'Best of Show' grand trophy award.

We'll see everyone in Flora Street, Sutherland when the Sutherland Shire Council's car park will burst into automotive historic life for a guaranteed spectacular day for the entire family on Sunday.

Sylvanvale Pre-WWII Vintage Car Show

Sutherland Council Car Park, Flora Street, Sutherland
Show times: 9:00am until 3:00pm
Admission: $5 per adult - $10 per family
Food & Coffee Vendors on site
Every cent raised goes directly to Sylvanvale

Fundraising for people with Disability