Peter Gribble m. Janette (private), St Peters, Melbourne 14 Feb 1974
Peter Francis, industrial chemist, IT consultant, seeker of wisdom b. Merredin 1947, m. Janette, Melbourne 14 Feb 1974
The first thirteen years of Peter's life were spent growing up in Merredin a rural wheatbelt town and major railway junction in the West Australian wheatbelt. These were the post war years - a curious mix of war relics and war memories. A time of transformation from the horse and cart world to that of the piston engine. Waves of displaced persons and iron curtain refugees and agricultural boom times. Accompanied by the conversion of Alf's dark aroma filled old world grocery store with it's exposed produce, cellar, horse drawn delivery wagon, and floor swept clean weekly after a sprinkle of soggy sawdust into a larger, whiter, brighter, and vibrant modern supermarket.
Looking back today, life at that time seems to have had much in common with the world of Hucklebury Finn. The author managed to survive being run over by the ice truck, sunstroke, the 1950s polio epidemic, mucking around the railway yards and in the local flour mill, trespassing on the quarry grounds during blasting operations, getting into deep water with his younger brother when neither could swim, fracturing his skull at the local swimming pool, and a number of ute based evening rabbit and fox shooting expeditions. Injury and illness often resulting in death seemed quite common compared with today. Entertainment was basic but very satisfying. Adults loved to play sports and drink copiously during and after events. As children we loved to join in on the sidelines. At other times there were bar-b-cue or fossicking expeditions to the various granite outcrops, mining and war relics surrounding the town. Winter or summer floods were another source of entertainment as were visitors passing through on their way 'east'. Every summer the relentless sun would bake everything in sight and when it had finished the cold winter winds would come and chill all to the bone. The days, months, years seemed to stretch on forever. The author with the help of the local librarian escaped into the world of books and in no time at all primary school was complete.
The next five years were spent at a Perth boarding school. After matriculation the author spent a number of years at university before graduating with a degree in science and a diploma in education. A somewhat rocky road in retrospect but one which eventually enabled escape from Western Australia to the infinitely more attractive Melbourne. For the next fifteen years Peter sold his soul to commerce. Along the way he met and married Janette, at the time recently returned from London and a stint with the BBC. Although mildly concerned about some of his interests she decided he was at heart interesting with maybe a bit of potential! Time and two wonderful grownup children suggest it was a marriage made in heaven. While the years have had their ups and downs, now on the verge of retirement, Peter is looking ahead to years of bliss with the love of his life - Janette.
