Colin Henry

From the past:

“I had my first sexual encounter on a slatted benches in the quadrangle one night with an Asquith G H girl, she had her periods and said it was safe, think it lasted for several seconds”

2004

I don’t remember too much about school, I know I didn’t do well in the leaving for a whole lot of reasons, but that didn’t seem to effect me. I have visions of playing hockey, and swimming carnivals, and remember that I did a best time for some event in a zone meet the year before we went metric, and have been told that the record still stands, think it was 55 yards. I know it is a grey area. What a giggle.

I do remember a big ugly fat maths teacher who threw chalk and anything else he could lay his hands on, to stop me talking or dreaming, and being hit by the biggest dusters several times. He was the reason I didn’t listen in maths, it has not hurt me, just made me find out the answers for myself, but shame about his approach. I think I got six of the best from some ratbag for laughing, my memory is that it was very much on the outer by that time. I do remember some kind teachers, - I taught in TAFE for 24 years and found that education is about building self-esteem, not forcing crap down ones neck-. There was a nice geography teacher, and a Mr.Wilson who taught science and was exceptionally interested and kind, I think he awarded me a book prize for effort in class, and amazingly the book is still around, It was called ‘Experiments in Science’, and I guess this one school thing effected my life more than any other. It set me of to a life of questioning and innovation and made me quite selfish about how I deal with information. There was a young lady teacher who often walked out crying from our classes, How could we do that to her, shame on us. There were the manual arts teachers who I can’t remember, except that they were hidden down the bottom of the ‘garden’ in there own little castle and had a different reason for being there. My 23year old son has finally finished his studies and will be a manual arts teacher, although they call them Design and Technology now, and I believe the have more status. My eggcup was displayed in the front window of the Commonwealth Bank during one education week. I remember studying an awful Shakespeare play and going to Hornsby picture show to see the film. It did not makes sense, but since then I have guided my kids through this delightful stuff without any problem, Must be maturity does that.

I know I had my first sexual encounter on a slatted benches in the quadrangle one night with an Asquith G H girl, she had her periods and said it was safe, think it lasted for several seconds, and I do remember having many pontoon card sessions at my place in 57 Lords Ave, Asquith with groups of boys and girls all wagging school.

The procession up the road from the train was an amazing site, and stopping at the fish and chip shop for potato scallops with tomato sauce had to be a highlight. I always felt a bit left out that I didn’t catch the train and rode my bike to school. What a great feeling racing down the hill towards the station, passing the sea of walkers to the station. That was a great feeling of freedom, leaving school on that bike. I did catch the train once to a friend’s house in Pymble - maybe - and played on his go-cart, Can’t remember who it was but I can still smell the burning oil and rubber. I do remember Howard Cairns and some girls and hot chocolate milkshakes in those aluminium dented and delightfully sculpted mixing cups. We were trend setters, in the milk bar at the northern end of Asquith, every morning, expresso steam in the milkshake, and I think we smoked Camel cigs and some name like Sorrento , The girls all smoked Cool or Alpine, Shit what a waste of effort smoking was. Thank God I was not addicted and stopped soon after. I doubt if most student ventured up the northern end of Asquith.

Interestingly, I do not remember doing art, except art history, and I do remember how much I loved tech drawing. Music was another void, with one memory, singing in those tiered seats and thinking that was fun. The pineapple donuts and strawberry milk were worth lining up for, and I can smell them now, plus remember the strange felling all that colouring did to you.

I don’t think I took too much from school with me, I was still growing up. I also remember my mums yellow mini 850 being filled with kids to hockey, and then driving to Cheltenham G H, Abbotsleigh, Hornsby, and any other girls school, except Asquith for some reason, to perv at the short skirts and maybe get a kiss on the station. Are these real memories?

When I left school, I lost all contact and moved in a different circle, generally centring on girls. I worked for many weeks in the Water Board and jack-hammered part of a sewer tunnel under St Ives, shit eh! Good money, Then was head waiter - well, the only waiter AND dogs body- at the Bobbin Inn, Bobbin Head for several months, maybe longer, till I crashed my car racing up the hill one night. - I think we must all be lucky to have survived that period, grog and cars and girls, and the folk nest at Hornsby, I’m sure I was. I later raced formula 2 cars that I designed and built, lots of trophies and fun.

That set a new direction, as I had no money, so mum knew a Panelbeater - What’s that? I didn’t even know there was such a thing - who let me fix my car if I did a bit of work for him. By the end of the week I had signed up for an apprenticeship on a mere 5 quid a week, down from 30 or 40 quid a week. Anyway, I topped the state three years in a row, had my own business in the first year as well as being an apprentice, and ended up the youngest Panelbeating teacher in TAFE.

New direction, this gave me lots of time, so I started building houses. We have built about 15 large dwellings, - my wife and I, and I mean designed and physically build EVERY aspect of them, - which put me in a position to retire from TAFE at about 47 years old. The house we live in now on a farm in Wyong Creek is an example, I even built a saw to mill the timber of my place to build the dwelling. This is my exhibition space as well as home During that time, I did a lot of study, 2 degrees, many certs and diplomas, all for my thirst for information. When I was about 25 yrs, I started watercolour painting and quickly move to all aspects of art, now specialising in 3D works - sculpture - and photography. We also have a studio were we have run art classes for the last 15 yrs, my own bronze foundry, and if you asked were is my passion, its for life and my art. I have achieved many great things during the first half of my life, and expected to power on, I have never felt so strong or capable, shame about the body.

I have a great wife, nee Krystyna Zygalski of Hornsby G H, of 30 some years, who at present is suffering the change in her life when husbands become much more important than children. She is suffering, poor darling, me I’m just selfish. What a joke, I give some much of my time away to other people, but do have a selfish attitude.

I have been married twice, but the first relationship was a pressure of society thing and did not last more than 6 mths. Best thing that ever happened, cause I met Krys.

Three kids, Belynda, who is now 32, with husband and 3.5 year old daughter, going on 35, she is a successful artist and paints abstract landscapes, worth looking at - represented by Libby Edwards at Woollahra, and others, - lives in Dooralong.

Katryna, who is a 29 y old married social worker, doing very well, is a total yuppie, lives on Lake Macquarie next to my sailing studio were I keep Trident moored, my great 31 ft. Farrier trimaran. And of course my son, a great boy, still finding himself who is 23 with dominant girlfriend, he has drifted away lately, starting his own life, and I miss him, but he will be back, we are a close family.

I’ve sailed since I left school, and still love the sport, although I hate with a vengeance how Australians hold thugs and morons up as great people because they are good at one aspect of life, sport. To me sport is for school, to encourage supporting and helping others, and is a great way to stay healthy and interested in life after school, but as I read the bios I recognise what great things people do without being those “Champions”, I hate commercial sport even more. Sorry just one of my pet hates.

WARNING Three years ago I was lucky enough to get bowel cancer, and find out in time, before I had symptoms, by sheer luck. As time goes by, be more vigilant about such things, HAVE A BOWEL SCAN NOW, AND ANY OTHER CHECKUPS, which reminds me of the prostitute who was asked if she had a check up lately, and replied, no only Poles.

Sorry for the ravings, but you can all do it on the night, think of me, while your down here in the cold, red wine, lobsters and fresh coral trout still kicking on the hand spear, sunsets on the coral reef, You can see why I’m not going to be there. I have to admit, after writing this and then reading the result, I shed a tear, a very emotional journey.