Doug, Gary, Kevin and Jim have completed a commendable job in presenting the two picnic tables in the front yard of St John’s Church. It is pleasing to see the quality of work that can be attributed to the Men of the Shed. Graham signs were spelt correctly. Great job lads.

The twisting and scrolling equipment has been put to good use, as this table mount shows. desugned and made with the assistance of Arnie and John Banks it didn’t turn out too bad at all.

We thank Moolarbeen for their generosity is donating the equipment. This is Arnie twisting the 10mm square to form the round pieces at the centre of the table legs. Thank Gad Arnie’s doing Gym, because it’s really hard to twist.

Wombat did a really good job on these two rocking horses,  You notice he has a big grin on his dial, well that might soon change. Graham has surcomed to gentle persuasion and agreed to build a proper rocking horse.

He will be ably assisted by Col B. and Doug.

This is a man’s challenge, lets see how long that grin lasts.

John Banks seems to know what he is doing here, ably assisted by Ron, that is until the Phantom measurer arrived and checked the diagonals. I’m saying no more.

He and Arnie built a table. How does that rhyme go? There was a crooked man who built a crooked house, etc.

Its good to see people learning how to do wood turning, remember its a four year apprenticeship, so don’t be put off by your first attempt mate.

Mick’s from out Hargraves way, so I think he and Kev are building a gold cradle. by the look of the mesh they only want BIG nuggets. There is plenty going on at the shed, don’t forget the Gym and to put your name down for the BBQ roster.

Pickup

For those of you who didn’t think that John Pickup’s life was mysterous and intreaguing, this short biography, which has been redacted by both ASIO and the Taxation Dept, may shed a small light on his lifes story. OR not. Its like getting blood out of a stone.

John’s life began in Mosman, Sydney in 1932. Not your silvertail types, his family moved to Epping in 1935, a home amoung the gum trees, in dairy country, where John and his two elder brothers grew up.

His schooling at Epping, as he says, was generally normal, although being as easy to get along with as he is, I doubt he ever got the cane. John is a placid type of bloke.

He left school at 16 and gained an apprenticeship with a large engineering company, Automatic Totalisers. He indentured as a Fitter Machinist, but his employer noting that his intellect was a bit above that of Fitting, put him into Toolmaking in his last year, a thinking man’s trade as opposed to the latter. This is where it gets interesting.

On completing his apprenticeship, John travelled to Europe. Normal you would think for a young lad wanting to exteriance the world, or was it?. He spent 18 months travelling the continent and it is noted that he never spent more than two nights in the same bed. His words not mine. He travelled with companions #%@&??^ and /?*&#@$# which was amazing for such a quiet fellow, and after he completed #@%$^&$?? he returned to Australia. He started his own business at 25, JP Pickup Pty Ltd. John designed and manufactured electrical panels and chasis and towards the end of his working life sold out to RME.

One of John’s panels can be seen at the new 2MG building. Not the sort of work for an adrenalin junkie, you would think. BUT.  John made many a return trip to England and Europe, probably under a pseudonym and false passport, the last being in 2007 when he contracted a fever on the voyage and had to be directed to India. The doctor from Calcutta transferred him from Singapore then back to Sydney. When he was well enough to be transferred to Mudgee the Doctor decided to travel with him to arrange the transfer,

When the Indian doctor rang forward to let the staff at Mudgee know John was to be an inpatient, a little issue arose. Problem was that the night staff thought it was a prank call from a phone centre and hung up, John duely arrived early next morning and was duely given a bed to recover.

In 1977 John bought a 35 acre property at Lue, it had a weekender on it and he visited on many occasions. He moved perminently after retirement but never got around to upgrading the weekender, he was there until 2015 when he moved to town.