MEMORIES FROM 1988

1988 was a big year for us. We sold our little house and had a bigger one built. Unfortunately, the builder went broke. Fortunately, our Building Society Bank pulled us through the mess. We ended up with a new house but it took 18 months instead of 18 weeks to build. In the same year the World Expo was held in Brisbane and our girls were performing there nearly everyday in their school marching band. Australian schools had very few marching bands but the girls' school brought out American and Canadian Marching Bands to teach our kids. 

This little house was getting too small for two teenage girls and only one bathroom so we bought a block of land and engaged a builder.

Every weekend we visited the block to see the progress. Sonya and Bill.

We built on the corner of a cul-de-sac.

At first progress was good but when it reached this stage it slowed down and took ages to finish.

Because of the delay we had to rent a house because we had sold the little one. The girls were both at John Paul College.

They both joined the JPC Marching Band, they both played the trumpet (like their father). They practiced on the school oval.

EXPO 88 was held at South Bank, which had been a run down wharf area and transformed into a fabulous entertainment area.

The girls marched in the daily parade.

They often played in the Piazza, marching in complicated routines.   Sonya is on the end.

Loads of people came to watch everyday. Carol in the middle.

Carol third from left  and Sonya fifth from left with hat blown off. The JPC Marching Band was invited to play at the Calgary Stampede where they won the competition. The Canadians taught them so well that they took out the top prize. We were very proud of them.