HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-10-05, Page 23skesve
Move aver Lou rant. Keep your,
hade
Joe o a Rossi. I'm on the way up.
Those statements aren't made in
mere jest or as an inflated or
egotistical assessment of this scribe's
modest talents. Rather, in light of
expanded horizons they reflect at-
tainable goals. Goals that hadn't
surfaced until Friday morning of last
week.
The morning began in routine
fashion. The reporters ascribing to the
frenetic pace of the pulsating
newsroom, were relaxing and enjoying
morning beverages at their desks, only
to give the smoke a chance to clear
from between the typewriter keys..
Due to the heavy workload the
previous week the typewriters were
taking longer to coot off and our in-
frequent period of relaxation extended
on into the morning. -
Then without notice, a group of in-
truders began swarming about the
newsroom without so much as a
greeting eti
ng qr an exchange of pleasantries
with the staff. A. we sat there
bewildered, these aliens hauled in tons
of equipment, lights, cameras and a
body for every piece of equipment. '
Then it dawned on me. After four
years of toil with a small Western
Ontario weekly newspaper, the word
had finally gotten out: And so I began to
wonder, was my life story to become
the nucleus of a full-length feature film
or perhaps just a half hour
documentary on my rise to relative
obscurity in the field of journalism.
The crew soon put noy enthusiasm at
bay explaining they- were from TVO,
the Ontario educational network, and
were working on a story concerning W.
E. Elliott of Goderich. What they
required from our office was a brief
description of Mr. Elliott's contribution
to our newspaper.
The crew worked frantically and
with the proper placement of lights and
cameras the -•pulsating newsroom was
transformed into a television studio.
First our editor. was filmed' taping
about Mr Elliott's dedication to the
journalism profession and ills valuable
contributions to this newspaper. A
newsroom cohort and myself were
simply stuck 'in the background to fin
out the appeairance of the newsroom.
Then the director announced that it
would add to the film if the reporters
were put on camera to relate a few
interesting anecdotes concerning Mr.
Elliott. I knew my chance was coming.
No makeup was applied prior to my
stint but a nubile young lady, ap-
parently a crew member, unbuttoned
my Shirt to the waist and attempted to
conceal the microphone. Actually I did
a better job of concealing my chest
than she did • in trying to hide the
microphone. Then after a brief con-
sultation with the director and a few
•
cues, 1 was on.•
"It .all started to&eWall town on the
Manitoba Saskatchewan boiler- called
• Benito, where I was born on..." • -
"Cut", the director yelled lrn»
patiently to the crew. "Mr, Sykes,
we're doing a film about Mr. Elliott -
perhaps we can get your life story
later."
That was fine. `Maybe they didn't
want to go that far . back into my
history. I began. Take 139 j believe.
"It all started in a tiny newsroom in a
small Ontario town where as a cub.
reporter..."
"Cut, cut. Mr. Sykes please. We
really don't care to hear that, not that it
isn't interesting, but we would like to
complete this story on Mr. Elliott."
So I completed my little segment of
the film without any hitches.
But I think my own story sparked'
some interest and I'm expecting a call
any day now.
the _ _
odericn.•- -
The engines were a major item of importance when it came to restoring the
Lancaster airplane but some 14 years of exposure had taken their toll. Here,
members of The Canadian Warplane-Heritagedne... are.SIAR.wn removing the
Lane's engines to be taken to Mt. Hope where they can be closely examined
under cover. A majoroverhaulof the engines is necessary as they'are close
to the end of their legal working life, says Eric Grove, co-ordinator of
Lancaster Restoration. '
131 YEAR -40
1
L
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1978.
.STAI■R
SECOND SECTION
Still hope Lancaster can fly out
Editor's Note: Mr. Grove
*rote this article and
sent the pictures as he
wanted to update those
persons ip Goderich who
cared f r the Lancaster
for so long during its stay
here.
'BY ERIC GROVE
•
Co-ordinator,
Lancaster Restoration
When Canadian
Warplane Heritage Inc.
received the Lancaster
airplane : -from. the
Goderich Branch of the
Royal Canadian Legion,
it was believed that only a
moderate amount of work
would be needed at
Goderich to prepare for a
ferry flight to Hamilton.
Once at our Hamilton
base, complete
restoratior to, flying
condition would be
carried out, a, task -
requiring moderate funds
and about a year's hard
work.
With enthusiasm,
'Heritage' members,
during the summer of
1977, lowered the long -
raised Lancaster gear
and trundleti'M 213 from
its display stand to Sky
Harbour Airp.ort...to
almost the same spot that
it was parked when it
arrived in 1968.
Engines being the
major item of im-
portance, work on them
was started immediately.
That the propellors would
not turn didn't at first
alarm us, but gradually
throughout the summer
the recognition grew that
the engines were, in fact,
"seized". Without
protection, some 14 years -
of exposure had taken
their toll.
It was decided to
remove the enginesto Mt.
Hope, where they could
be closely examined
under cover. This was
done, and it was con-
firmed that major
overhaul is necessary. It
was also learned from the
airplane records that the
engines are close to the
end of their legal working
life, without a major
overhaul.
Whilst the above was in
progress, the air -frame
and some of -the systems
and instruments were
inspected. Here, the news
is more cheerful and
most items appear to be
capable of restoration
without undue difficulty.
This year small ,internal
items, and some of the
canopy perspex has been
worked on and the air-
craft has been cleaned
and . sealed externally,
and secured - against
weather.
• Despite the setbacks, it
is 'Heritage' hope that
engines may be found in
time, to ferry FM 213 to
Mt. Hope this year. We
are actively searching for
new engines, this being
quicker than re-
engineering the existing;
so far we have not been
successful.
We have considered
transporting the airplane
to Hamilton by road or
barge, but the problems
of dismantling, loading,
and moving with the risk
Turn to page 2A •
An inside view of the Lancaster airplane which was acquired by the
Canadian Warplane Heritage Inc. from the Goderich Branch of the Royal
Canadian Legion for restoration. Eric Grove, co-ordinator of Lancaster
Restoration, says the Lancaster will be restored as soon as funds and
arrangements permit.
This is the Lancaster airplane as it appeared in the
summer of 1968 at Sky Harbour Airport. The
Canadian Warplane Heritage Inc. has acquired the
plane from the Goderich Branch of the Royal
Canadian Legion and plans to completely restore it
as soon as funds and arrangements permit, says
Eric Grove, co-ordinator of Lancaster Restoration.
I'm trying to get rid of a coldbefore it
gets rid of me so Monday night I plan to
go home from work, get everyone
bathed, fed, into- their pyjamas and
ready „for the sandman and relax 'in"
front of the old tube. A night off and I'll
take it' easy and I may be able to beat
this thing before it really takes hold.
Everything went according to plan
amazingly enough. The youngest hit
the sheets about seven and the oldest
was promised a little television if she
followed her sister's example by eight
o'clock. The old man lines up
everything needed for an evening of
television,. refreshments, cigarettes, a
clean ashtray and something to read
during commercials, and stretches out
in front of the screen.
You've got to understand I'- n already
an emotional wreck andddn't need any
heady, tear jerking screenplay.After
work I caught the final innings t f the
Boston -New York • divisional playoff
and being a Boston fan I'm somewhat
saddened by the results of that battle.
First thing we watch is my five-year
old daughter's favorite show, Little
House on the Prairie. Th show is
entertaining enough but I cn't get
used to life on the prairies a century
N ago. Life was just one trauma after
another and Monday, night was no
exception. The story centered around a
very sensitive, and very fat, man who
cherished his wife and daughter. This
slob was the butt of the town jokes
because of his shape and his daughter
Ares ashamed of him. Rather than
embarrass his loved ones he announces
he is going to work on the railroad when
• he really -plans to go work at the school
for the blind. The blind kids you see,
can't see his shape and love him for
what he is, a nice guy.
To avoid being detected by his wife
he does all his outside work at night
which includes some roof repairs. You
guessed it, he fell off 'the roof, ruptured
his spleen and was going to die, not
beeause of his injuries but because with
no one to love he has no will to live. Well
first off a little blind girl writes, and
then reads, in front of her classmates, a
touching essay on why this guy should
live. Then the guy's wife, whom one of
the stars tracked down strictly by
chance, does a bedside number and
then comes the big one. The guy is lying
there unconscious and his daughter
comes into the room. She sits beside
him and tears her heart out telling her
papa how she really loves him and that
she is sorry she was a spoiled little brat
and would he please get better.
Violins froth the -Boston Symphony
add to the scene as the Mormon
Tabernacle Choir blends voices with
the mood of millions of people from
coast to coast looking for tissues and
trying to be cool. (it's not cool to
blubber over a stupid television show).
Sniffling, the cold you know, I look over
at my wife and daughter. The wife `9s
bawling and just as I begin to comment
that the show is pretty , heavy for
children I notice that my little girl
appears untouched by the scene. She's
taking it in stride. Nerves of steel.
Comforted by the fact that everyone in
the show lived happily ever after she
goes off to bird.
A couple' of comedy shows restore us
to normal and then we tune into the
movie based on the novel Little
Women. Set in New England during the
Civil War the show involves a family of
four girls and their mother forced to
live without dear old dad who has gone
off to fight for the north.
We tripped from one trauma to
another but nothing could top the death
bed scene we watched earlier and we
are able to contain our emotions. That
is until one of the daughters got scarlet
fever and we went through another
death bed number. The sisters tried in
vain to care for their loved one finally
sending for marmy, who has gone to
her husband's sick bed in Washington.
Manny gets home just as it appears
the girl has died. Amidst all the wailing
everyone notices that she is not dead
but that her fever* has broken and she
will be all right. My wife is bawling
again and at the conclusion of the show
stumbles off to bed exhausted. The next
time I plan an evening at tome I think
I'll listen to the radio.
jeseddon