The New Middle swan bridge

Here are the kiddies at the start of the old Middle swan bridge also known as Whiteman Bridge, was closed yesterday and if the council gets it's way will be pulled down sometime soon. It's a bloody pitty because the old girl is a real ripper .... for a bridge! Nestled in amongst the banksia's the old bridge looks a real beaut, and gives you the feeling for that long lost time of years ago....




And here's Harrison standing on the old bridge with the new bridge in the background, but I reckon the old bridge would of looked like that when it was new..... well maybe not. We walked under the old bridge and had a gander of what keeps the old girl up, and as you can see she's had a fair bit of work over the years. Not as much wood these days as concrete is all the go, in fact the new bridge is pretty much ALL CONCRETE! not a piece of timber in sight yep times have changed. As you can see the new bridge is a friggin' lot higher and longer then the old girl, it was designed that way in case of a 100 year flood event.







And here's the new.... yep like i said times have changed hay









So this is what you get for a cool $78 million... strewth! (trust me there's not any change left over) yep this is the best 2.6km stretch of road in Western Australia, somehow I get the feeling that the old bridge just didn't cost that much.





Here's Sarah with the grand old bridge behind her, come to think of it I should of called this post The Old Middle swan bridge as I've just noticed i've got more photos of the old one.



They just don't make them like they use too.... you know old and falling to bits, but the old bridges give off that grand old rustic feelings of long ago time... of when family's were driven around on horse-drawn wagon's, with their picnic hamper loaded with local cheese, olives, and of cause the odd bottle of verdelho or maybe a shiraz. Past roadside farm stalls with jumbo strawberries, juicy rockmelons, vine-ripened tomatoes and of cause the kilo bags of grapes. Down past breweries and wineries which were started in the region by the Croatian and Italian migrants in the 1920's, and most are still owned by their grandchildren. Then suddenly you reach and ride over this grand old wooden bridge that reaches over the brownish waters of the Swan river, and goes by the name of Whiteman bridge and is laying amongst sprinkled wildflowers and native bush..... Well until yesterday you could still do that well okay maybe not in a horse drawn wagon but in something with a bit more style and comfort... say a datson 180B!! fairdinkum compared with being pulled by a friggin' horse That's comfort mate! But no longer can we live that old dream of yesteryears, now it's a quick ride over a lump of concrete and past the womans prison and your their. But while it's still their (not for long) we can get as many walks over the old girl and just let the mind wonder, and yes Oscar that is the NEW BRIDGE. Thanks mate your suppose to be looking at the old one not that concrete thing-eme-bob over their, just look at this grand old wooden masterpiece of construction! You little bugger.

Harrison's on the go

Well now that Harrison has had some beaut rides around Whitemans Park and our local carpark, it was time to give the big fella a chance to show his stuff on the jumps! Okay he didn't quiet make it to the jumps but he hit the cycle track next door with a lot of go....


Come to think of it he really did HIT the track!






He's big sister Sarah showing the little fella just what he has to do, 'First you walk your bike to the top of the rise then you hop on and ride down the slop wwwweeeeee'





But it wasn't long before the young fella began to get the idea of what he has to do, and fairdinkum he now hit's the little rise with all his might and then down the other side.

So what was the other nevilles doing while Harry was getting it on... well they were hitting the ramps and having a ripper time of it, as you can see there's just no fear.... except for the old man!
















And Sarah wanted the last word.... now that's not like a sheilah to have the last say hay! Fairdinkum I always make sure the misses knows just where she stands, and so I ALWAYS have the last word.... okay it might be 'Yes Dear' but still it's the last word!

First day for Oscar

Well it's that time of year again where the old girl smiles again and her blood pressure returns to normal, yes it's BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!








Can you pick the little girl in the photo... of-cause she's the one smileing, strewth I don't know what they had for breaky but something got up their freckle! Jack and Sarah are all ready for their day at Caversham primary, and Harrison and notso little Oscar are suited out ready for their trip to North East Metropoliton School at Morley.









And of-cause it was a special day for the little fella Oscar as this was his first day at Kindergarden, and wasn't he on a high as he stepped into his classroom for the first time of his little life. Not knowing that this was just the first day of over 15 or 16 years of going to school (sucker), and of-cause it will be a lot longer if hes smart but will cross that bridge if it ever happens ha,ha. Now fairdinkum this is a ripper photo that old girl shot of Oscar outside his first class room, ohhh isn't he cute in his little school uniform. Oh well it wont be long before where kicking him out of the house at 21 years old, trust me it will come along before we know it... crikey i'll be friggin' 59 years old (bugger) but then it could be worse..... I could be Nana or Pop ha,ha.






Here's the little fella getting use to his new surroundings.










So have a ripper time in Kindergarden little fella because it wont be long before your out in the real world looking to earn a crust, getting shacked up with a sheilah, a morgage, little Nevilles and NO HAIR.... welcome to the world mate.

Sorry Nana

Well all good things come to an end sooner or latter, and in the case of Oscar's long curly hair... it was TIME! After Harrison and Jacko had their hair cut (shorn like a sheep). The little fella jumped up on the seat waiting for his turn, so after a short time to reflect over the last three years of this long haired git. I thought oh well it has to happen one day so off it went!



And there's the result! where now got three skinhead nevilles running about, sorry Nana but on the positive side you do live on the other side of Australia.... so you can't get ME!