John Skelton (1907-1993) - Carpenter. Recorded 11 June 1984. Part 1/1.

JOHN SKELTON 
Recorded 11 June 1984 
Part 1/1  

1:00 
John came to Cessnock at age 17  

1:09 
He was born in Boggabri in 1907  

1:30 
He came to Newcastle after his father had a nervous breakdown and couldn't work. A man offered a house at Millfield. John was attending high school at the time. John became involved with building the house and became a carpenter. His father was a carpenter.  

2:48 
Ben Worth.  

4:12 
Worked as carpenter, Richmond Main for about 5 years  

4:35 
Worked at Aberdare Central Colliery for 10 years and then when it closed down he was offered work at the Caravan Park at Kurri.  

4:52 
Recalls taking heart attack. He couldn't work any longer and went on the pension. He thinks he worked harder on the pension than when he had work. His first wife died. Her name was June Thornton from Aberdare. After he married again, they went to Sydney for two years working for the food company. Then returned to Cessnock.  He had two boys in the first marriage. Twelve years between them. His second marriage was to Miss Worth from Karuah. She had come to work for Jack and his wife. They made her part of the family. His wife became a "helpless invalid". She went to Stockton Hospital.  

7:50 
Recalls involvement in church activities with the Seventh Day Adventists. His mother became an Adventist.  

9:05 
Built Cessnock Adventist church in North Avenue  

9:15 
Tom Searston  

10:28 
Recollection of buying house, land  

10:50 
He was a Seventh Day Adventist Church Elder for a long time and then gave it to younger people. There was a church in North Avenue (or was it West Avenue?) which his mother attended. It would have been built before 1920.  

11:36 
Van Eyke congregational church was situated opposite the Council Chambers.   

13:00 
The recording of the history of the early Adventist Church in Cessnock. Most of the older people have passed on. Mrs White is still alive.  Mr Crossley gave the finance to build the church. It was built before John came to Cessnock. John gives an account of the origin of the Seventh Day Adventist faith.  

18:08 
John suggests that there are 40 adults of the SDA faith attending the church. Pastor travels from Cooranbong every Sabbath. Recalls preaching sermons - he has the most "marked Bible in the country". He has notes throughout marking statements in the text.   

21:37 
Mrs White originated from New Caledonia.  She married George White who she met at college. George was a carpenter. http://record.net.au/items/church-in-the-bush  

24:27 
Recalls fracturing skull in accident when he was 10. He was retrieving a hat his sister had thrown into a peach tree.  Anecdote of the incident where he lost consciousness for over a week.  

25:26 
George rode BSA motorcycles on Cessnock Speedway.   ​http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/81051797

25:40 
Recollection of Millfield Speedway  

25:53 
Archie Sternbeck was amongst the organisers 
 
26:15 Cessnock Speedway first 1/2mile track in Australia  

26:50 
Billy DeMont and Paddy Dean were both well-known riders.     

27:10 
Cessnock motor cycle club once had 230 members  

27:28 
Recalls winning hill climb, Millfield   

27:55 
Chris Cowan, Basil Pont, Harvey Grey, Sid Bailey, Harold Slade, Alf Vickers and Charlie Vickers.  

29:13 
The circuit was the biggest in Australia which left   Cessnock to go to Wollombi then to Singleton. From Singleton they went to Branxton and then to Cessnock. They'd do this twice.  

29:24 
Les Lee once fell just outside Wollombi and broke his ankle. He kept on riding, completing the circuit and when he stopped he fainted and they had to cut off his boot quickly.     

30:41 
Cec Anstey used to ride a Harley Davidson. Sometimes things were difficult for him to attend the bike meetings because they on the Sabbath. Time was measured by sundown so he could attend on Saturday night because it was considered Sunday and therefore not the Sabbath. When he wasn't riding he acted as a marshall.  

32:12 
Recalls fatal accident involving Dave Rennie at speedway -    Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) Friday 27 November 1925 p 8  http://www.douglasmotorcycles.net/index.php?topic=1817.0  

32:57 
Mickey Rooney   

33:27 
Millfield speedway track was close to Millfield Colliery - between the road and the colliery. There were big crowds out there on a Sunday. It was all done by volunteers.  

34:48 
Don Harris and his son, young Don Harris.  

35:01 
Location of Harris family residence   Recollection of family history  

36:43 
John's father was 87 when he died. Prostate cancer. John says "I had the best mother and father in the world". His wife loved cats and painted landscapes. "Oh she's a great kid, she never stopped working". His distant relative came to Australia from England and settled in Boggabri. His father was a twin - they were born in Boggabri. His father worked as a carpenter and travelled all around north west NSW.   Lucy Little was John's mother. From Pintara (?). He is named after his mother's father.   

41:46
Recollection of first day in Cessnock travelling from Toronto through Mulbring to Kurri  

42:36 
Location of first house in Cessnock - David Campbell who got the first grant had his convicts housed in huts (about 8)

Tape duration: 44:31