‘A genie gives you a single wish. What is it?’ is one of my standard questions when I interview somebody. Bryan’s answer, given without hesitation, was “To regain my health”, which underscores his valiant health battle. The permanent illness, which affects his nervous system, was caused from work exposure to poisonous chemicals during his 40 year career as a Compositor and Photo Typesetter and all pre-press large format film and photographic paper processors. [For those of you younger than 50: before electronic publishing, newspaper type was first set in lead blocks made on so-called Lynotype and Ludlow machines. The Compositor was the tradesman doing that type of work. No Henrietta, he did not compose any symphonies, nor operas... ☺ Ed.]Born in 1952, Bryan is a proud third generation Southport citizen. (Yes! In 1920, his grandfather ran the Ferry Service from Carrara to Benowa!) He joined the Gold Coast Bulletin in 1968 as an apprentice. Some 40 years later, when he was forced to retire early due to health issues, he had been the longest serving staff member there.
Bryan’s involvement with Rotary goes all the way back some 48 years, to when he met his wife Lesley at a Rotaract event in Brisbane. After some travel through Europe, they became engaged in 1979 and married a year later. Their two daughters are both professionals in Marine Biology and Aged Care respectively.
We all know Bryan as a sort of “Volunteer Foreman” at our Project Shed. But what does he do when he is not toiling there every Wednesday and Saturday (and often on other days too)? “I go camping!” he said. “Or I read a good book (Sydney Sheldon and Wilbur Smith are two of his most liked writers), or I listen to “good ol Rock n Roll”, Glen Campbell or… wait for it… Michael Jackson…” [Michael Jackson?? Bad? No, it's Off the Wall, probably Dangerous! What a Thriller! Try and visualise Bryan moonwalking...☺ Ed.] And there is a big goal ahead: to travel our wide brown land! The Caravan is ready to roll…
Picture below (provided by Bryan): Tuesley's Broadwater to Tippler's Ferry.
