The rainbow never sets

to buy it. It was a great joy to put-put along the roads and weave in and out of traffic. Distances had suddenly shrunk considerably, and I had far more time on my hand. But it was not all easy sailing. The Lambretta had her moods. She was not easy to start, and I remember once pushing her up the hill past the Randwick Race Course to the top of Randwick, from where the road descended gently towards Coogee. I just let her roll down the hill, and suddenly the motor started again.

After I had worked for over twelve months at Dekyveres for a salaray well below the minimum wage, considering the long hours of our working day, I went one day to Victor's and Marcel's office and asked for a pay rise.

"Oh, no, we can't give you a pay rise", Marcel replied. I became angry. I was going to ask for a modest rise, but his stubbornness irked me. I had been working very hard and knew that I was appreciated. This encouraged me to reply: "Well, in that case I'll have to leave you."

"You can't do that, we need you here. How much do you want?" "Double of what I'm getting now!"

"And how much is that?" "I'm getting now £12 a week, and I'm asking for £24. Surely that isn't too much for the amount of work here!

Eventually both agreed, and I was very happy. I didn't really want to be looking for a job again.

From then on my salary rose continuously. The year ending in June 1956 I received £1108, a year later £1335, and in June 1958 it was £2031.

One day in Spring of 1955 I was invited to a farewell of a friend of George Egert's. At that party I met Bill Eckels, a wool buyer from Germany, who had been in Australia since before the War. He was a partner in a wool exporting business. I had seen him before at the wool stores, but apart from casual exchanges we had never talked to each other. We seemed to click immediately and he invited me to his place in Pymble to help him in his garden the following Saturday. There I met his wife Jean. Both were most hospitable and they asked me to come again the following weekend and stay for the night. Of course I was delighted. It was such a nice home and the garden was just great.

One evening they took me to a party where I met many of Bill & Jean's friends, most of whom worked also in the wool trade. The party was jolly and boisterous. Some were younger than Bill & Jean, about my age, and we all had a good time. From then on I visited Bill & Jean quite frequently, mostly on my Lambretta, and went to many parties with them.

During that time I became quite friendly with one of the girls from St.Ives, also friends of the Eckels. Her name was Christa. She had come with her parents from Germany after the war, and her mother's sister was Minti Fabarius, whose husband was also in the wool trade.

I introduced Christa to my YMCA friends, and she joined us at several of our weekend outings. Eventually Christa and I got engaged. We wanted

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