Michael has some interesting tales to tell, since he left the Fairbridge Farm at Molong. He writes.
My departure from Fairbridge after an interim visit was a traumatic one for me, I had to get as far away from the place as humanely possible. Money was problem though and short of robbing a bank this was not going to happen. I decided therefor to join a Circus. Ashtons Circus. My first stay was at Wellington NSW. and I must say it was a shock to the system. The sleeping arrangements were meagre to say the least. There was a bunk wagon filled with 18 fair sized men and not enough room to swing a cat. The erection of the Big Top in those days was all done by hand unlike today with fork lifts etc. The food was plain but plentiful ( Sound familiar). Some of the work was done by the 3 Elephants. In all jolly hard work.
The Ashton family was tight group of people, Fritz Schultz the lion tamer and his wife Sonia who raised the lion cubs were some memories of the staff there. My wages were 7 pounds a week and in all the time I stayed with the circus i saved over 200 pounds. I have vivid memories of travelling through towns such as Tamworth, Woolbrook, Armidale, Glen Innes and Grafton with all the blooming Jacaranda trees in summer. The elephants in the trailers provided entertainment during transit to different towns. Elephants seldom stand still and they used to make the trailer sway, funnily enough they learned to lean with the bends.
My stay with Ashtons involved touring Queensland, and my promotion with them towards the end involved selling peanuts and crisps from my own 3 ton truck. To this day I have no regrets for choosing this way of life. I did not drink or go out with bad women or (good ones for that matter). I was just 23 yrs old. Julia Buswell was the only girl that I had ever kissed and I was still a Virgin. I must add at this juncture that I had no idea how to change this state of affairs. I am now 75 yrs old and I am not sure how or when that state changed, must have been when I joined the Army. But that is another story. Michael.
