Skatey...The life of Les Skate
Biography of Les Skate edited and prepared for publication by volunteer biographer
Lorraine Blythe on behalf of Eastern Palliative Care October 2019
Biography of Les Skate edited and prepared for publication by volunteer biographer
Lorraine Blythe on behalf of Eastern Palliative Care October 2019
Skatey The Life of Les Skate I enjoyed it a lot. It was like another world down there for me. We used to go down about every two weeks. As soon as we arrived, I’d say, ‘Get out the fishing rods!’ All the family’s unloading the car and I’d be down there fishing with the boys. Rol, (left) Les and Tim The day’s catch ‘It was like another world down there for me.’ 24
Skatey The Life of Les Skate And then I’d do some more building. Until I got it pretty comfortable. We holidayed in it for forty years. When I’d built the bottom section, I’d built it in such a way with heavy timbers, that I knew that I could put another storey on top. Which I did and that gave us another six squares of living area. And a beautiful view. We were happy there for many years. A lot of people, family and friends, had a wonderful time down there. Yeah, it was great! A lot of people, family and friends, had a wonderful time down there. Yeah, it was great! Then in later years we moved from Croydon up to Gruyere. We started to travel a bit which we hadn’t done before. We’d had lots of little trips with the children, but nothing big. We’d got to a stage where we seemed to have other interests, and we wanted to do other things, so we didn’t go to Apollo Bay as much. We thought about selling it. But Tim and the kids enjoyed it a lot, they were into surfing and everything. So, we offered it to him and he took it over and modernised it a bit. Eventually the travelling became a bit much for him and his family. He could see the kids driving down there, a four-hour drive, decided it was time for a change. He had somehow started surfing at Cape Patterson and he ended up purchasing a block there and sold Apollo Bay. He built a beautiful home down there. It’s a bit more than a holiday home … it’s like a castle! He loves it and they can just hop in the car after work at night and head down there. All that’s turned out for the best and I’m very pleased they’ve got that. He deserves it. The rest of my life is really this modern time now. We’ve taken bigger holidays like two or three weeks away, touring in coaches around Australia, to all sorts of places. We’ve been to most places in Australia. We’ve looked through a lot of our photos and they always bring back the memories. All that’s turned out for the best and I’m very pleased they’ve got that. He deserves it. 25
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<strong><strong>Skate</strong>y</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> Life <strong>of</strong> <strong>Les</strong> <strong>Skate</strong><br />
And then I’d do some more building. Until I got it pretty comfortable. We holidayed in it for<br />
forty years. When I’d built the bottom section, I’d built it in such a way with heavy timbers,<br />
that I knew that I could put another storey on top. Which I did and that gave us another six<br />
squares <strong>of</strong> living area. And a beautiful view. We were happy there for many years. A lot <strong>of</strong><br />
people, family and friends, had a wonderful time down there. Yeah, it was great!<br />
A lot <strong>of</strong> people, family and<br />
friends, had a wonderful time<br />
down there. Yeah, it was<br />
great!<br />
<strong>The</strong>n in later years we moved from Croydon up to Gruyere. We started to travel a bit which<br />
we hadn’t done before. We’d had lots <strong>of</strong> little trips with the children, but nothing big. We’d<br />
got to a stage where we seemed to have other interests, and we wanted to do other<br />
things, so we didn’t go to Apollo Bay as much. We thought about selling it. But Tim and the<br />
kids enjoyed it a lot, they were into surfing and everything. So, we <strong>of</strong>fered it to him and he<br />
took it over and modernised it a bit.<br />
Eventually the travelling became a bit much for him and his family. He could see the kids<br />
driving down there, a four-hour drive, decided it was time for a change. He had somehow<br />
started surfing at Cape Patterson and he ended up purchasing a block there and sold<br />
Apollo Bay. He built a beautiful home down there. It’s a bit more than a holiday home …<br />
it’s like a castle! He loves it and they can just hop in the car after work at night and head<br />
down there. All that’s turned out for the best and I’m very pleased they’ve got that. He<br />
deserves it.<br />
<strong>The</strong> rest <strong>of</strong> my <strong>life</strong> is really this modern time now.<br />
We’ve taken bigger holidays like two or three weeks<br />
away, touring in coaches around Australia, to all<br />
sorts <strong>of</strong> places. We’ve been to most places in<br />
Australia. We’ve looked through a lot <strong>of</strong> our photos<br />
and they always bring back the memories.<br />
All that’s turned out for<br />
the best and I’m very<br />
pleased they’ve got that.<br />
He deserves it.<br />
25