The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Following a conversation with Sue, my wife, she thought it would be a good idea (for some reason I can't remember) that my next Blog should be titled as above!!!!!

mmmmm. Not to be beaten, here goes.

The Good

You are such a good friend that if we were on a sinking ship together and there was only one life jacket... I'd miss you lots and think of you often.

The Good:  Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and suffering of all those who have served".

Anzac Day, 25 April every year, marks the anniversary of the first campaign that led to major casualties for Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. These soldiers were known as Anzacs. Originally it was to honour the members of the army corps who fought at Gallipoli during the war.
The day remains one of the most important national occasions of both Australia and New Zealand, a rare instance of two sovereign countries not only sharing the same remembrance day, but making reference to both countries in its name.

This reminded me of those in my Nickisson Family Tree who also served their country during World War 1.

Leonard Nickisson (1894-1966)
Enlisted in August 1914 and joined the North Staffs Regiment. He was discharged a month later "considered unfit for service".
Not for want of trying.
He enlisted again in 1915 and joined the Royal Fusiliers. A year later joined the Machine Gun Corps and was posted to France.
He returned to England in January of 1919 and was discharged in July of the same year. His service in the army was nearly four years of which 2 years and 155 days was served in France during the war.

Henry Frederick Nickisson (1899-1972)
Declaring his age as 18 years and 2 months, he enlisted and joined the 6th (2nd Reserves) Battalion Cheshire Regiment on the 6th February, 1915.
The same day, he was sent home - Discharged in consequence of "Wrong declaration of age on enlistment" actual age 16.
His actual "Statement of Service", served one day.
Not for want of trying.

William John Wise (1871-1960)
Served in the New Zealand Army Reserve in 1917 at the age of 46 (more research needed).

The Good:  Remember 'Post Boxes'?

The Good:  Since we moved into our house I have been hoping to get one area of my garden, my 'allotment', ready to grow vegetables in. Now that the cooler Autumn weather is here it is an ideal time to plant out the garden. Over the next few weeks I will be buying flowering plants for the borders around the front garden and the pool area. I'm looking at dwarf fruit bushes for the rear garden and then I need to get those vegetables.

This is my 'allotment' to be.

The next step is to put some nourishment into the soil as it is really sandy at the moment.

Also, I need to enclose the area with a net canopy to shelter the plants from the sun and to reduce the possibility of insects etc. damaging, eating the crop. Then it will be planting time. 

Good advice: Hard work never killed anyone, but why take the chance?

The Bad

I asked God for a bike, but I know that's bad, God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.

The Bad:  Did you know?

Robert Nickisson (c1837-1880)
In 1867, he was acquitted of 'simple larceny' in Birmingham, only to be sent to prison for 5 calendar months in 1876 for larceny after a previous conviction of felony.

Charles Nickisson (1771-1852)
At the age of 72, he was committed for trial for stealing one pair of boots. He was acquitted on a technicality, 'not a true bill'

George (Latimer) Nickisson (1834-1859)
In December 1856 he was arrested and went for trial in January 1857. For his first offence; Stealing one saw, one hammer, one square and other articles, he pleaded guilty of larceny after a previous conviction. For his second offence; Stealing one timepiece, two brass saucepans and one pair of slippers, he pleaded guilty of housebreaking and larceny after previous conviction. His third offence was; Stealing twenty four joiners planes. Pleaded guilty of larceny after previous conviction.
He was sentenced to four years penal servitude and sent to Convict Prison, Medway, Gillingham, Kent. Sadly, after serving two years in prison, he died, cause of death being Tubercular disease of the lungs.

The Bad:   Post Boxes.

The Bad:  Gardening gone wrong!!!!

I originally planted tomatoes in containers and really got a good crop of the small cherry variety.

Once these had finished I purchased some new plants of a larger fruit variety but these tomatoes just bolted and ended up being tall, but with no fruit being produced.

So I have now cut them down and replanted them in the allotment, lets see how they go?


This is bad: Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.

 The Ugly

Ugly? When I was born the doctor took one look at me and slapped my parents.

The Ugly:    Post Boxes.

The Ugly:  Gardening gone really wrong!!!!

This is one of the worst Tomatoes that I replanted into the allotment. Will it really grow?

The Ugly:  The Nickisson Family Tree:

I wouldn't like to name them....................

But I guess you may have your own ideas!!!!!!

A lady is walking down the street to work and passes a parrot in a pet shop. The parrot says to her, "Hey lady, you are so ugly." The lady is furious and she storms past the shop to her work.

On the way home she saw the same parrot in the window and the parrot said to her, "Hey lady, you are really ugly." She was now very angry.

The next day she saw the same parrot and the parrot again said to her "Hey lady, you are really ugly". The lady was so angry she went into the shop and said that she would sue the owner and kill the damn bird.

The shop manager promised that the parrot wouldn't say it again.

When the lady walked past the shop after work the parrot said to her "Hey lady."

She paused and said "Yes?"

And the bird said, "You know."

Speak to you soon.

What???

Over the last few weeks since my last Blog, Expectations, I have found more information about my Nickisson Family Tree, especially since updating my subscription to Ancestry.com.

So what is included in the Blog today?

Remember in my previous Blogs, I have talked about the first Nickissons from my Family Tree to live in Australia. I have found some answers to some of the questions raised and also, who lived at Torrington Square, Bloomsbury, London, the site of a 'bloody dual'? Update later in the Blog.

I have also mentioned previously about my plans for my Australian garden, so what is happening now?

But firstly, I have received a complaint about my last Blog!!!!!!!!!!!!

What, you say!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I have had a complaint about my Blog

Apologies.

Apologies.

But firstly, no apology for this;

*George Howard, the man famous for writing the Hokey Polky died last week. They had a horrible time at the funeral parlour, first they put his left leg in.............

So why am I apologising?

I had a complaint about not including 'Post Boxes' in the last Blog.

Sorry, I did forget.

Remember the story about the post boxes (Christmas already!!!!!!!)? Well let me make up for not including them in my last Blog. Here's some examples below.

*What will Postman Pat be called when he retires?............. Pat

*What do you call a fly with no wings?.............. A walk

So, What updates are there for the first Australian immigrants in my Nickisson Family Tree?

I have updates from my last Blog for Alfred Parkes Nickisson and his family. I have also found the answer to; Who is Carl (or Charles) Casper Franklin? (Blog Doesn't time fly).

Alfred Parkes Nickisson (1840-?):
Although I have not found any answers to what happened to Alfred and his family after 1882, I have now found out who is wife really is.

Hannah Francis Hancox (c1840-?):
With the many combination of names from the marriage and children's birth documents, it was difficult to determine who she really was.
I have now found the answer. Harriett Francis Hancox was born in 1854 in Dudley, Staffordshire. In 1861 she was living in Whetley, Lickey in Bromsgrove, moving to Wildmoor, Catshill, Bromsgrove sometime before 1871.

So what happened to the family after 1882 in Australia, I still don't know..... yet?

Does anyone out there know any more?

*What's the difference between a buffalo and a bison?......... You can't wash your hands in a buffalo.

Carl Casper Franklin (c1847-?):

Carl, or Charles, as some documents suggest, married Elizabeth Nickisson (1847-1891) in Birmingham (1871) and then they emigrated to Australia in 1873. Was he born in England or Australia? Carl or Charles?

Finally, the answer. Charles Casper Franklin was born in 1849 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He travelled to England sometime in the 1860s (still need to find that information) before returning to Australia with his wife and first child. He died in 1927 in Granville, New South Wales, Australia.

*What game do you play with a wombat?................... Wom.

31 Torrington Square, Bloomsbury, London, was the home of Alice Jane Nickisson (1867-?). Alice was born in Birmingham and she married James Howard Small (1860-1915) in 1906, After her husband died Alice married Thomas Miles (c1865?) in 1919 and the marriage certificate showed the residence at time of marriage was, Torrington Square.

I was curious about the name, Torrington Square, so I 'Googled' it and it's a tourist attraction in London because of the story of a Bloody Dual between two brothers. The area of land that existed here before the Square was built upon it was named, The Field of Forty Footsteps after a legendary dual that took place here.

Two brothers fought and killed each other over the love of a girl, who watched passively from the bank of a pond nearby. Their lengthy exertions back and forth over soft ground was visible for many years to come, probably due to a dry spell! Legend has it that each step they took during battle killed the grass, and it never grew back.

The only building here at the time was Montague House (now part of the British Museum). This area was then known as Long Fields and then Southampton Square.

Torrington Square was originally laid out as part of the Bedford Estate developed in 1821-25, named after the father-in-law of the 6th Duke of Bedford. The buildings in the Square are now mainly part of the University of London. The building pictured to the right is still the same one that Alice Jane Nickisson lived in.

If you know more about Alice Jane Nickisson (when did she die?) or Thomas Miles, her second marriage (when was he born, when did he die?), let me know.

The continuing story of Alfred Parkes Nickisson, Charles Casper Franklin and their families, can be seen in the Nickisson Family Tree Links to the left of this Blog.

*What do you call a deer with no eyes and no legs? ............... Still no ideer.

Another Post Box

*What's brown and sits on a piano bench?    Beethoven's Last Movement

What is happening with the plans for my Australian vegetable patch?

Not a lot really.

I have moved some bricks, pavers etc. from around the garden and everything is ready to start. We are now into Autumn and the temperatures have dropped to around 28Deg's, ideal time for planting. I need to get the area ready so hopefully, more news in my next Blog.

*What did the English policeman say when he came home and found his wife in bed with three men? 'Ello'   'Ello'   'Ello'

Another Post Box

And finally:
On a beautiful summer's day, two English tourists were driving through Wales. At the town of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogoch they stopped for lunch, and one of the tourists asked the very very blonde waitress,

"before we order, I wonder if you could settle an argument for us....
Can you pronounce where we are now, very, very, very slowly?"

The girl leaned over and said slowly,

"Burr.......... Gurr.......... King"

Speak to you soon.

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.