Expectations

A belated Happy New Year to each and all of you.

Sorry that my Blog is a little late this month, I seem to have been really busy but cannot see where the time has gone. Painting and gardening has slowed down recently since I was diagnosed as having 'Carpal Tunnel Syndrome' in my right wrist. It really is painful, especially after using my hand for a while and it means I cannot get the jobs done as quicky as I would like. The waiting list for treatment is six to twelve months, just got my hospital appointment through, June!!!!

So a new year has started and I'm excited about my expectations for the coming months.

• To complete more of the jobs in the house.
• To find new people, new information to be added to the Nickisson Family Tree.
• To complete the alterations to the garden that will allow me to have my small area/allotment for growing vegetables.

Firstly, a little message;

To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are our own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, just have a thought. Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God 's expectancy did not work out to His own children.

After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve.

And the first thing he said was 'DON'T!'

'Don't what?' Adam replied.

'Don't eat the forbidden fruit.' God said.

'Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve..we have forbidden fruit!'

'No Way!'

'Yes way!'

'Do NOT eat the fruit!' said God.

'Why?'

'Because I am your Father and I said so!' God replied.

A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He was annoyed! 

'Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?' God asked.

'Uh huh,' Adam replied.

'Then why did you?' said the Father.

'I don 't know,' said Eve.

'She started it!' Adam said.

'Did not!'

'Did too!'

'DID NOT!'

Having had it with the two of them, God 's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own.

Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed.

This last month we have painted and furnished the 'Guest Bedroom'.

We are expecting our first Guest's to be staying with us in October. Sue's friend from her working days at Clarice Cliff Primary School, Julie and her husband Paul, will be staying with us for a few days at the end of October. They will be attending a wedding in Tasmania and then staying with us until they fly back home to England.

Just a few days after Julie and Paul have returned to England, we are expecting Sue's mum, Diane, and Allan to arrive from Blackburn for a three week holiday. They will return to England sometime in November after leaving us and seeing a little of Melbourne and Sydney on the way back home.

My brother Alan and his wife Margaret are on holiday in New Zealand at the moment staying with their daughter and family. Finishing off their holiday, they will be arriving in Perth in early February and will be here for a week staying with my son Dean and his family. Alan's daughter Laura and grandchild Evie will also be over with them until they fly back home to New Zealand.

Really looking forward to seeing

family and friends again.

Thinking about children!

* You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next sixteen telling them to sit down and shut up.

* Grandchildren are God 's reward for not killing your own children.

* Mothers of teens now know why some animals eat their young.

In my last Blog I finished the story of the first Nickissons in my Family Tree to emigrate to Australia. Although there was a lot of information about the families, a lot of questions were also raised.

I have recently updated my annual subscription to Ancestry.com and it will now include all the Australian records they have, plus many more British records that were unavailable to me previously.
I am expecting to find more information now about those Nickissons already in my Family Tree and it has already started to give me answers to some of the questions raised in my previous Blogs.
There's more information about Alfred Parkes Nickisson and his family (see Blog Christmas already!!!!!!! ) and answers to the bigger mystery around the person Carl Casper Franklin (see Blog  Doesn't time fly ).

Some of the new British records available have also given me more information about members of the Nickisson family. One particular Nickisson lived in a house built on the site of a bloody duel between two brothers over a girl. Location: Torrington Square, Bloomsbury, London.

Expect more on those stories.

Still thinking about children!

* Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.

* The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind yourself that there are children more awful than your own.

* We childproof our homes, but they still find a way of getting in.

I was expecting to have started creating my vegetable 'allotment' by now in the garden to the rear of the house. I have the idea of how to lay it out so hopefully, work will start soon.

The tomatoes I mentioned in my last Blog are still growing well and producing plenty of the small cherry variety.

The Chilli (Capsicum) plants are also growing well in their containers and producing their first fruit (I had to look it up to see if it was a fruit or a vegetable)

I didn't realise that 'Chilli' is the UK way of spelling the word,

worldwide it is normally spelt 'Chili' and 'Chile' in the Southwestern US (Wikipedia).

Expecting to have more news on the 'allotment' development in my next Blog

And finally, about children:

* If you have a lot of (children) tension and you get a headache, do what is says on the Asprin bottle:

'Take two Asprin' and 'Keep away from children'.

Speak to you soon.

Christmas already!!!!!!!

A Christmas cracker: When cannibals ate a missionary,
did they get a taste of religion?

Christmas time is upon us and I cannot believe how quick the time has gone since we moved into our new house.

Thank you for all your cards and best wishes on our move into Tea Tree Way.

We have been in the house now for two months and with a little bit of painting and the arrival of some new furniture, it really feels like home.

The boys lounge has now been

furnished with a new settee, two

chairs and a television unit, and

the family room (our room) has

a new television unit and coffee

table. We also now have a new

dining table and buffet unit, just

in time for Christmas lunch.

A Christmas cracker: The midget fortune-teller who escaped
from prison was a small medium at large.

So let me get back to my original reason for having my Blog:

Growing Family Trees and Vegetables

• Growing Family Trees: Can you remember a couple of Blogs ago (Doesn't time fly) I was looking at the first Nickisson's in my Family Tree to arrive and live in Australia? I will continue the story in a moment.

A Christmas cracker: The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray,
is he now a seasoned veteran?

• Growing Vegetables: How is the allotment idea growing in Australia?

Well, this is where my 'allotment' is going to be. It is at the rear of the house, aside my workshop and it is where the clothes drier used to be. It's an ideal area and I will use the existing paving to built raised beds. Hope to start it in January.

Meanwhile;

I have planted some Cherry Tomatoes in containers and started to get a good crop from them. I have also planted out some chilli last week, lets see how they go.

A Christmas cracker: She was only a whiskey-maker, but I loved her still.

• Growing Family Trees: The continued story of the first Nickisson's from my Family Tree to live in Australia

As I mentioned in my previous Blog, Australian roots, my Great Great Grandfather's brother, William Nickisson died and his widow, Mary Ann Nickisson (nee Parkes) emigrated to Queensland, Australia. Along with her went three of their children, Alfred Parkes Nickisson, Frederick Nickisson and Louisa Nickisson. Their other daughter, Elizabeth Nickisson had already emigrated to Australia.

My following Blog, Australian roots continued, continued the story of what happened to Mary Ann Nickisson (nee Parkes), Frederick and Louisa.

The story of Elizabeth Nickisson's life in Australia was featured in my Blog Doesn't Time Fly.

So that leaves Alfred Parkes Nickisson.

A Christmas cracker: Two fish swim into a concrete wall.
One turns to the other and says, 'Dam!'

Alfred Parkes Nickisson (1840-?):
Alfred was born in Birmingham in 1840 and continued to live there and worked with his father as a Saddler (making saddles and harness for horses). The 1871 Census shows he was a soldier based in the District Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich Dockyard. It was the depot for the Royal Horse Artillery and he continued his trade as a "collar maker".

Alfred married Hannah Frances Hancox in 1874 and then they emigrated to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia in 1875.
Whilst living in Queensland, they had Joseph Arthur Nickisson and then sometime after 1876 they moved to Sydney, New South Wales. They had three more children, Frederick W Nickisson, Herbert S Nickisson and Alice Eva H Nickisson.
After the birth of their last child (1882), I have not been able to find any more information about Alfred Parkes Nickisson.

Does anyone out there know any more?

A Christmas cracker: Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says, 'I've lost my electron.'
The other says, 'Are you sure?' The first replies, 'Yes, I'm positive.'

Hannah Frances Hancox (c1840-?)
A little mix up with actual name as many documents state different names - Marriage Documents show name as Hannah Frances Hancox - Emigration to Australia shows name as Harriet (Nickisson) - Birth of children shows name as Harriet Frances Hancock / Harriet F (Nickisson) / Harriett (Nickisson) / Harriett F (Nickisson).
As you can see, little is known about Hannah Frances Hancox (or her other names)

Does anyone out there know any more?

A Christmas cracker: Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too. 

Children:
Joseph Arthur Nickisson (1876-?)
Joseph was born in Queensland, Australia in 1876 and moved to Sydney with his parents but in 1880 he is found living in the Destitute Children's Asylum, Randwick: The Blacket building (now known as part of the Prince of Wales Hospital Administration block, Randwick) had been built for the Asylum for Destitute Children and was occupied by them. These children were to be cared for and educated until such time as their parent(s) or family members could reclaim them. Alternatively, at the age of 13 years the children could be apprenticed to anyone who made a donation of two guineas to become a Subscriber to the Society for the Relief of Destitute Children.
I have not been able to find out what happened after Arthur went into this place.

Does anyone out there know any more?

A Christmas cracker: No matter how much you push the envelope,
it'll still be stationary.

Frederick W Nickisson (1878-1878)
Born and died in Sydney, NSW, just a few months old.

A Christmas cracker: A rubber-band pistol was confiscated from an algebra class,
because it was a weapon of maths disruption.

Herbert S Nickisson (1879-?)
Born in Sydney, NSW. Little else is known.

Does anyone out there know any more?

A Christmas cracker: A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said:
'Keep of the grass.'

Alice Eva H Nickisson (1882-1882)
Born in Sydney, NSW and lived for just a few months.

That completes the story of the first Nickisson's in my
Family Tree to move to Australia.

A lot more questions to be answered.

Does anyone out there know any more?

Post boxes:
In one of my previous Blogs I mentioned that nearly all Australian houses do not have letter boxes in their front doors. The postboxes are situated somewhere in the front garden and the variety and styles of the boxes can be so different. Here are a couple of examples above; More to follow.




The final Christmas cracker:
An Irish woman is cleaning her husband's rifle and accidentally shoots him. She immediately dials the telephone emergency operator.

Irish woman: "It's my husband! I've accidentally shot him. I've accidentally killed him!"

Operator: "Please calm down Mam. Can you first make sure he is actually dead!"

*click* .... *BANG*

Irish woman: "Okay, I've done that ..................  What's next?"

Merry Christmas to you all.          Speak to you soon.

New Family Home

Well were in our new family home.

We got the keys to 53 Tea Tree Way, Thornlie, Perth, WA, 6108 on the 5th of October and moved in the following day. Furniture for the bedrooms, fridge/freezer for the kitchen, TV's and accessories for the two lounges, furniture for my office and washer for the laundry room were delivered on the same day. The following Monday our own goods were delivered from the container storage that had travelled from England. It is so good to get the picture frames on the wall, to see family around us that we left in England but are now part of our home in Australia.

A very big thank you to Dean, Rachel, Charlotte and Jacob

for putting up with us for the last seven months.

 

Family: Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica? Where do they go? Wonder no more!!!

It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life. The penguin is very committed to its family and will mate for life, as well as maintain a form of compassionate contact with its offspring throughout its life.

If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into, and buried.

 

The male penguins then gather in a circle around the fresh grave and sing:

 

 

 

"Freeze a jolly good fellow."

"Freeze a jolly good fellow."

 

Then they kick him in the ice hole.

 

 

So, do you want a tour of our new home

NO,

well you are anyway so here goes.

 

This is the entrance to the front door

 

To the left as you enter is Ryan and Kye's lounge (Furniture now ordered)

The view from the window looking out onto the front garden.

 



Joining onto the boys lounge is my office (has to be a Stoke theme)

with my Stoke City wall. 

To the right of the boys lounge is our bedroom, the 'master bedroom'

 

with en suite attached.

Opposite my office is the boys games / computer room.

 

We then move into the 'Family Room' which is L shaped and includes the kitchen, lounge and dining area.

(Panoramic view) Kitchen is on the left with a small dining area and then the 'sunken' lounge with doors leading out to the outside living area.

 

Below shows the lounge and the main dining area beyond (not much furniture yet)

 

 

We then move to the rear of the house and firstly come to the spare bedroom,

 

then Ryan's 'Stoke City' bedroom (the first room to be painted),

then the boys shower/bathroom.

 

We then have the laundry room (with separate toilet). The door leads to the rear of the house and my workshop.

 

Then we have Kye's bedroom. 

That's the inside of the house done.

 

Family: I once sent ten puns to family, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did. 

 

 

We then move through the door from the family room to the outside living area (panoramic view).

To the left is the rear of the garage and in the far corner the most important area, the beer fridge and barbecue area!!!!

Another Stokie area!!!!!

 

To the right is the gate to the swimming pool,

just behind the umbrella's is a shady gazebo.

 

 

The view from the gazebo

 

and the gate that leads to my workshop.

 

That's our new home in Australia, hope you have found it interesting.

 

 

My next Blog will continue with the story of the first Nickisson's in my family tree to move to Australia, also, the story of vegetable growing here and back in England and any new updates to our home in Tea Tree Way.

 

And finally:  Two brooms were hanging in the closet and after a while they got to know each other so well, they decided to get married.

One broom was, of course, the bride broom, the other the groom broom.

The bride broom looked very beautiful in her white dress. The groom broom was handsome and suave in his tuxedo. The wedding was lovely.

After the wedding, at the wedding dinner, the bride-broom leaned over and said to the groom-broom, 'I think I am going to have a little whisk broom!' 'IMPOSSIBLE !' said the groom broom.

Are you ready for this?

Brace yourself; this is going to hurt!!!!!!













'WE HAVEN'T EVEN SWEPT TOGETHER!'

 

Speak to you soon



Doesn't time fly

Yes, doesn't time fly.

We have now been here in Australia for just over six months and lots of things have happened since we arrived in Perth but firstly, I would just like to thank everyone who sent cards, telephoned, text, emailed, facebooked recently to wish Ryan and myself a happy birthday.
Also thank you to everyone who wished Sue and myself a happy 17 years wedding anniversary, yes, doesn't time fly.


So what Blog news can I give you about the Nickisson family now?

1)  New Australian roots: We move into our new home in October.

2)  Old Australian roots: The first Nickisson's to arrive in Australia from my Family Tree. The story continues:

3)  Growing Australian roots: Including how the allotment is going in England

Doesn't time fly: When a clock is hungry does it go back four seconds???


1) New Australian Roots.

We have now bought our first home in Australia.

We will be moving into 53 Tea Tree Way around the 5th/6th of October and the shopping has begun. It is really exciting to start completely fresh and buy new furniture, electrical equipment, etc.

The time living with Dean & Rachel has been fantastic and really worked out very well but nine people living in one house!!!

I think it's time to give them back their home.

This link will give you a tour of our new home:
 For Sale : 53 Tea Tree Way Thornlie: Ideal Location: LJ Hooker Thornlie


Our individual lives have continued along the same pattern as I have mentioned in my previous Blogs. Sue has now completed her 3 months probation and is now a permanent employee.

We cannot wait to move into our new home.

Did you know?
Nearly all Australian houses do not have letter boxes in their front doors? As you can see from the above photo, the postboxes are usually situated somewhere in the front garden and the variety and styles of  the postboxes can be unusual.
                     

And the post is delivered by a motorbike rider.






More variety of  postboxes in the next Blog.

2)  Old Australian roots: The first Nickisson's to arrive in Australia from my Family Tree.

As I mentioned in my last Blog, my Great Great  Grandfather's brother, William Nickisson, died and his widow (Mary Ann Parkes) emigrated to Queensland, Australia with her children (Alfred Parkes Nickisson, Frederick Nickisson and Louisa Nickisson). Their other daughter (Elizabeth Nickisson) had already emigrated in 1873 along with her husband (Carl Casper Franklin).
Louisa Nickisson died shortly after arriving in Queensland and then Mary Ann and Frederick returned to England from Victoria in 1879.

So what happened to Elizabeth Nickisson, now Elizabeth Franklin, and Alfred Parkes Nickisson?

Elizabeth Nickisson (1847-1891):
Elizabeth was born in Birmingham in 1847 and continued to live there and married Carl Casper Franklin in 1871. They had a child, Carl Frederick Franklin in 1872 and then emigrated to Australia in 1873. They left London on the 1st of February on the clipper ship 'Storm King' and arrived at Moreton Bay, Queensland on the 3rd of May.
They had two other children whilst living in Queensland, Mary Louisa Franklin and William Edward Franklin, they then moved to Rockhampton, New South Wales sometime after 1876 where they had another daughter Ellen Elizabeth Franklin.
Elizabeth Franklin (nee Nickisson) died in 1891 in Woolahra, Sydney, NSW.
Carl Casper Franklin (c1847-?):
I have no information about Carl Casper in the earlier years, was he born in England or travelled back from Australia, in fact was his name Carl or Charles? On the Marriage Registration Doc. and the Birth/Christening Record of their first child, it shows the name as Carl Casper, but on the Birth Records for the children born in Australia, they show the name as Charles or Charles Casper?
After the birth of his children, I have not been able to find any more information about Carl (Charles) Casper Franklin.

Does anyone out there know any more?

Children:
Carl Frederick Franklin (1872-1936):
Born in Birmingham and emigrated to Queensland, Australia in 1873. Little more is known about Carl Frederick other than he lived in Old Farm Road, Helensburgh, New South Wales, around the 1930s, (Australian Electoral Rolls) where he worked as a miner until he died in 1936.

Does anyone out there know any more?

Mary Louisa Franklin (1874-1875):
Born and died in Queensland, Australia, just one year old.

William Edward Franklin (1876-1937):
William Edward followed very much in his older brother Carl Frederick's footsteps. Born in Queensland, Australia, little more is known until he appears living in Station Road, Helensburgh, New South Wales, around the 1930s, (Australia Electoral Rolls) where he also worked as a miner until his death in 1937.

Does anyone out there know any more?

Ellen Elizabeth Franklin (1878-1931):
Born in Rockhampton, New South Wales, she married William John Wise in Sydney, NSW in 1903. Sometime after that they moved to New Zealand where she lived in Masterton, Wellington, until she died in 1931.
William John Wise (1871-1960):
He was born in Chertsey, Surrey, England. Nothing else is known about William, when did he move to Australia, when did they move to New Zealand? He died in 1960 in Masterton, New Zealand.

Does anyone out there know any more?

I will look at Alfred Parkes Nickisson's life in Australia in the next Blog.

Doesn't time fly: My grandmother wanted to stay fit, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today and we don't know were the hell she is.

3)  Growing Australian roots: Including how the allotment is going in England

Talking to my daughter Joanne and grandson Joseph, they have had a bumper crop of fruit, flowers and vegetables from the allotment in England. Although the weather has been very mixed, almost everything has been successful. It seems as though the only failure has again been the Broccoli, not to be tried again next year.

The grapes have again grown well in the greenhouse along with the Tomatoes, Peppers, Chilli plants and the Cucumber. They have also had a success with growing flowers (Sweet Peas) for the first time.

Most of the produce is now out of the ground and the beds are being prepared for winter. Some late potatoes have been planted, hopefully ready for Christmas.

What about Australia. Well, I have identified an area in our new home for a vegetable patch, I don't mean in the home, in the garden of our new home!!!! I will also attempt to grow Dwarf varieties of fruit trees around the garden. Looking forward to having a go at creating my version of an allotment, although on a smaller scale than in England.

And finally:

Doesn't Time Fly? Three tourists climbed up London's Big Ben tower and decided to throw their watches off the top, run down the stairs and try to catch them before they hit the ground. 

The first tourist threw his watch but heard it crash before he'd taken three steps. 

The second threw his watch and made only two steps before hearing his watch shatter.
 
The third tourist threw his watch off the tower, went down the stairs, bought a snack at a shop up the street
and walked slowly back to Big Ben in time to catch the watch.

"How the heck did you do that???" asked one of his friends.

"Easy," he replied.
.
.
.
.
"My watch is 30 minutes slow."


Speak to you soon.

Australian roots continued.

Sorry for being so long in producing my next Blog, time seems to be flying as life moves on in Australia.

So to update you:

1.  Australian roots: The first Nickisson's to arrive in Australia from my Family Tree?

More news in a moment.

2.  Australian roots: How are we doing after 5 months?

As I mentioned above, life is moving on very quickly, more news further in the Blog.

3.  Australian roots: What vegetable growing is going on?

Plenty of growing in the allotment in England, more about that later.

  
So to continue with the story;


1.  Australian roots: The first Nickisson's to arrive in Australia from my Family Tree?

As I mentioned in my last Blog, my Great Great Grandfather, Henry Nickisson (1809-1846), had a brother, William Nickisson, who married Mary Ann Parkes in 1842 and they lived in Birmingham, having six children, until William died in 1866.

After William died, one of his daughters, Elizabeth Nickisson, now married to Carl Casper Franklin, emigrated to Queensland, Australia in 1873. Mary Ann Nickisson (nee parkes), now a widow, also decided to move to Australia in 1875 along with her sons Alfred Parkes, Frederick and her daughter Louisa.

Tragedy struck not long after arriving in Queensland, Australia, when daughter Louisa Nickisson just twelve years old (1863-1875), died within a few months of being there.

Mary Anne Nickisson (nee Parkes):
Little more is known about the life of Mary Ann in Australia as in 1879 she returned to England along with her son Frederick Nickisson.
They left Victoria, New South Wales, Australia in the April of 1879 on the ship 'Durham" and arrived in London a few months later. Mary Ann returned to Birmingham and lived near to her daughter, Ellen Nickisson (1845-1921), now married to Edwin Willis (1842-?). She was  living with them by 1891, but by 1901 she had moved in with her son Frederick Nickisson (1857-1941) where she died in 1904.

Frederick Nickisson:
After Frederick returned to England, he also moved back to Birmingham and in 1883 he had a relationship with a Elizabeth Corbett and they had a daughter Louisa Nickisson Corbett (1883-?). I have not found any information on Elizabeth Corbett, but Louisa Nickisson Corbett lived with her father until at least 1901 and then the trail runs dry.

Does anyone out there know any more?

Frederick Nickisson continued to live in Birmingham, working as a 'Brown Saddler' (making leather products) and by 1911 he had moved in with his sister Ellen Willis (nee Nickisson). He died in 1941.

So what has happened to the remaining Nickisson's in Australia?

More about Elizabeth Nickisson and Alfred Parkes Nickisson in my next Blog.

Father/son roots: A  teenage boy had just passed his driving test and inquired of his father as to when they could discuss the use of his car.

His  father said he'd make a deal with his son, "You bring your grades up from a C to a B average, study your Bible a little, and get your hair cut. Then we'll talk about the car." 
The boy  thought about that for a moment, decided he'd settle for the offer, and they agreed on it. 
After  about six weeks his father said, "Son, you've brought your grades up and I've observed that you have been studying your Bible, but I'm disappointed you haven't had your hair cut." 
The boy said, "You know, Dad, I've been thinking about that, and I've noticed in my studies of the Bible that Samson had long hair, John the Baptist had long hair, Moses had long hair, and there's even strong evidence that Jesus had long hair." 
(You're  going to love the Dad's reply!) 
 

"Did you also notice they all walked everywhere they went?"

2.  Australian roots: How are we doing after 5 months?

Life has moved on very quickly since my last update 2 months ago.

Ryan has now settled into his apprenticeship with a company 'Vitura Furnishings' making bespoke kitchen furniture/units. He has also started college (TAFE they call it) one day a week and he really enjoys what he's doing. He has just got his 'L plates' to start learning to drive, the process of passing your driving test here is so different in comparison to England. Ryan has now had is first driving lesson.
He is playing football (soccer they call it here) for Gosnells City (link: http://www.gosnellscityfc.org.au/) and his team (under 18s) is second in the league at the moment.

Kye has just had a two week term break from Thornlie Senior High School and is now back at school. His first report and teachers open evening gave us a better idea on how well he really is doing. He has also made many friends but he doesn't seem to see them outside school?????

Sue is really enjoying her job at 'Unitingcare West' (link: http://www.unitingcarewest.org.au/ ) and has completed her training now. She is really getting into the job and has moved to her office in Rockingham, taking her company car and company mobile phone with her!!!!!!!!!!

And then there is Me!!! I've given up applying for jobs although if something came along I would consider it. I have collected my tools from the storage facility and I have started working for myself and work is gradually coming in from family and friends contacts. I have registered as a business, Handyman/Painter/Gardener/General DIY, which makes it easier to get the type of work I want.

So how are things going as far as getting our own home? Well, we believe its getting closer. We have been to a broker about finance and she has submitted applications to a number of banks and there seems to be no problems. We then need to wait until Sue has completed her 3 months probation (6 weeks to go) in her job then the finance applications can go in after the 14th of September. The process of buying a house here is very different from England, it's certainly a lot quicker.

So what does that mean for us? We have found a house, put in a offer that has been accepted by the Sellers, paid the deposit and it is ours (subject to finance being sorted in September).

More news about the house in the next Blog.


Family Roots: A young boy says to his dad "Dad, how much does getting married cost?" "No idea son: I haven't finished paying for it yet".


Billy was having trouble with his mathematics homework so his mum thought how best to help him.
She said to him " If you went into the left pocket of your trousers and took out 40 pence then took another 35 pence out of your right trouser pocket, what do you think you would have". 
Billy replied " Someone elses trousers on. 

3.  Australian roots: What vegetable growing is going on?

Although the weather has been very mixed in England the allotment is doing really well, everything is growing and fruit and vegetables are now being picked. Joanne, Neil, Joseph and Izac (and helpers) have put a lot of work in the allotment and here are some of the results.

Onions, Late Potatoes.

Early Potatoes, Purple Broccoli and Cabbage.

In the small beds are French Beans, Peas and Cabbage (under the netting)

The Strawberry beds have been made bigger this year and there are plenty to be picked.

Other fruit and vegetables include,

Red Onions, Lettuce, Radishes, Swede, Beetroot, Courgettes, Rhubarb and Turnips.

In the greenhouse and 'conservatory' the Grape Vine has survived the winter.

Also, the Tomatoes are growing well,

and other plants include, Peppers, Chilli plants and Cucumber.

Whilst in the Australian allotment!!!!!!

Nothing has changed, yet.

It's good to see that the allotment is doing really well, I cannot wait to see if I have the same opportunity to do/grow something similar, when we have our own home here in Australia.

And Finally:

The larger Family Roots: One day, God was looking down at earth, and saw all the misbehaving that was going on. So he called one of his angels to go to Earth.
When he returned, the angel told God, 'Yes, it is bad on Earth; 95% are misbehaving, and only 5% are not'.
God thought for a moment and said, 'Maybe I should send down another angel, to get a second opinion'! So, God called another angel, & sent him to Earth too.
When the angel returned, he went to God & said, 'Yes, it’s true. The Earth is in decline; 95% are misbehaving, but 5% are being good.'

God was not pleased. So he decided to e-mail, the 5% who were good, because, he wanted to encourage them, give them a little something, to help them keep going !

Do you  know what the e-mail said?







No  ?





Okay, just checking with you.    I d idn't get one either ... 


Speak to you soon

Australian roots

So what has happened since my last Blog?

We have now been living in Australia for just over 3 months and time really seems to be moving fast. In that time I have been thinking about our life at the moment and what point we have reached and wondered what made other Nickisson's move to this big country. I have also been thinking about what type of property and garden we will have and will there be an opportunity to grow vegetables????
So I thought I would look at what Australian roots have already been established and how others are now starting to growing.

1. Australian roots: The first Nickisson's to arrive in Australia from my Family Tree?
2. Australian roots: How are we doing after 3 months?
3. Australian roots: What vegetable growing is going on?

1. Australian roots: The first Nickisson's to arrive in Australia from my Family Tree?

My Great Great Grandfather, Henry Nickisson (1809-1846), had a brother, William Nickisson, who was born in 1816 in Stone, Staffordshire. William married Mary Ann Parkes in 1842 and they lived in Birmingham until William died in 1866.

They had six children; Alfred Parkes Nickisson (1840-?) - Caroline Nickisson (1842-1843) - Ellen Nickisson (1845-1921) - Elizabeth Nickisson (1847-1891) - Frederick Nickisson (1857-1941) - Louisa Nickisson (1863-1875).

After William died, Mary Ann Nickisson (nee Parkes) continued to live in Birmingham but her daughter Elizabeth Nickisson, now married to Carl Casper Franklin, emigrated to Queensland, Australia in 1873.

Was this the influence that made Mary uproot and move?

In 1875 Mary decided to emigrate to Australia taking three of her children, Alfred Parkes (now married to Hannah Francis Hancox), Frederick and Louisa. On the 4th of April, they sailed from London on the iron built ship 'Ramsey' and arrived in Brisbane, Queensland on the 8th of July.

What happened next?

More of the story in my next Blog

* There was a lady who immigrated to Australia and married an Australian gentleman. The poor lady was not very proficient in English, but anyhow managed to communicate with her husband. The real problem arose whenever she had to shop for groceries.

One day, she went to the butcher and wanted to buy pork legs. She didn't know how to put forward her request, and in desperation, lifted up her skirt to show her thighs. The butcher got the message and the lady went home with pork legs.

The next day, she needed to get chicken breasts. Again, she didn't know how to say, and so unbuttoned her blouse to show the butcher her breast. The lady got her chicken breasts.

The third day, the poor lady needed to buy sausages. So, she brought her husband to the store........................ because he spoke English.

2. Australian roots: How are we doing after 3 months?

After 3 months we have moved forward quite a bit, establishing routines, making friends and getting used to the weather. I boasted a few Blogs ago that the weather was 30°+ but now were into winter and the temperature changes from 20°+ in the daytime to 4-5° at night, quite a noticeable change. We have had heavy rain and thunderstorms, the swimming pool is not as inviting now!!!!!!

Ryan has moved to a new job as an Apprentice Cabinet Maker. His previous job was supposed to be as an apprentice but it became just a casual factory hand job. He seems to have more of a future with this new company.
Kye is really settled in at school and seems to have made some good friends. He is in the school basketball team and they have a competition this week against other schools.

Sue has now got a full time permanent job as a Family Care Worker with 'UnitingCare West' and starts this week. The job is very similar to what she did in England, working with children and families and helping them to get back into family life. She is very excited about the job.
Me, I'm now ready to start work. Finally the container of our belongings has arrived and it is now in a storage unit until we have our own place. I have been able to collect all my tools so painting work, bathroom replacements etc. for friends and family are now to be arranged and started. Plenty of work for me to do and I'm looking forward to it.


* A man was given the job of painting the white lines down the middle of a motorway. On the first day he painted six miles; the next day three miles; the following day less than a mile. When the foreman asked the man why he kept painting less each day, he replied "I just can't do any better. Each day I keep getting farther away from the paint can."


* Employer to applicant: "In this job we need someone who is responsible."
Applicant: "I'm the one you want. On my last job, every time anything went wrong, they said I was responsible."

3. Australian roots: What vegetable growing is going on?

So what's growing?

I have heard that there has been very mixed weather in England but things are growing well in the allotment. More information when I have it.

Here in Australia, we have started the allotment.

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Yes................................we have started the allotment !!!!!!

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Well, it's a start !!!!!!!

Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris)

Classic culinary Thyme with small highly fragrant, grey-green leaves and small pale purplish flowers. Used to flavour soups, fish, meat, vegetables, vinegars and stuffing.

Basil - Red Rubin (Ocimum Basilicum Rubin)

 Large, nearly pure purple leaves with lighter coloured flowers. Great flavour and aroma. Use leaves fresh or dried in the same way as other Basil. Excellent in herb vinegars or simply as a garnish.

Cress - Upland (Barbarea Vulgaris)

Cress forms a rosette of lobed, shiny leaves, which can be used to add a mustard flavour to leafy salads, cheese spreads, sandwiches and other salads.

Don't I sound clever.

It's surprising what information you can find on the plant label.

* A friend of mine was cutting dried herbs last week and some of it went into his eye..... be careful when doing the same as it left him 'Parsley' sighted...

* I was doing the same when I got a bit stuck on my arm. Now I can tell the thyme.

And finally

* Two senior couples are walking along, wives in front, husbands behind.

Herb says to Sam, "Gee, we went to a new restaurant last night and had the best meal ever. Good prices too".

Sam replied. "Well, we like to eat out too. What was the name of the restaurant?"

Herb says, "You are going to have to help me out here a little. What's the name of that pretty flower, smells sweet, grows on a thorny bush?"

Sam answers. "How about rose?"

"Yes, yes that's it!" cries Herb, then calls his wife. "Rose, Hey, Rose. What was the name of that restaurant we ate at last night?"

Speak to you soon