Passion Fruit to Passion The first Crime

From Passion to Passion Fruit

THE FIRST CRIME

For what it is worth and to relieve everyone’s preoccupation with who am I, I had considered doing this for a while. I did not know whether I wanted to tell you about me, as there really is no mystery and probably a little boring.

Frank Albert Shead was born in Sydney in May 1934, right in the middle or more likely near the end of the depression. We did not have a lot, bur we never went without a bed or food three times a day or a pair of shoes.

My Parents had three sons and one daughter and my eldest Brother was born on the same day as me, with 10 years difference. He was a man and I was a boy.

Earlier Life was in Liechardt and then to Earlwood.

My Father was milkman with his own horse and cart.

When I was 5 years old Mum and Dad decided to move to New Zealand with all their children.

Three early memories were: - at a little over four, there was a fire in our street, and while the firemen were putting it out, I successfully managed to climb in to this inviting looking big red truck. How it happened, I do not know, but the handbrake was moved and the truck and I went down the road.

I was in big trouble. Any way the fireman chased the truck and managed to climb in and stop it.

My mother knew long before this, that I was always going to be a trouble maker. Mum’s favourite comment, was: - “You wait until your Father gets home. He will give you a thrashing.”

CRIME

At the age of eight I had an exciting time as I formed a real passion for Passion Fruit. You could not believe that a beautiful fruit like passion fruit could cause any trouble. Trouble was Frank’s second name. Can you imagine or remember what four gallon petrol tins looked like?

Dad had three of them under the house and the next door neighbour had passion fruit vines all the way around his property.

Frank successfully managed to dislodge these enticing fruit into his father’s petrol tins and store them under their house. No one knew, of this great venture, He had persuaded himself that he would be able to eat the lot of them.

An explosion happened shortly after the crime was committed, as his ten year older brother decided he would tell their father; about this shocking crime. Frank believed he was jealous, as he was not going to be sharing them with him. Now apart from Crime and Jealousy, we now have the basic signs of Frank with that of Greed added to the horror crime. (These are specially great characteristics to carry around.)

The explosion happened when Dad came home the next morning. He made me take these cans back to the gentleman next door and apologize profusely. When I got back home my father gave me a couple of lashes with his belt, he wanted to teach me that Crime will not pay. It would be found out sooner or latter and will always be punished by some one. I never stole another passion fruit.

My father only hit me twice in our life together and the second time was only four months away from the last hiding. I certainly learnt my lessons the hard way.

For those of you, who did not experience World war two. Let your imagination roam to the day that everyone in the World lived on coupons, New Zealand included all lived on coupons. A small country helping to fight a war almost a world away. Everything was very scarce.

Under the house was the water pipe bringing the water supply into the house. There was a significant space between the floor boards and the pipe. I thought it was a great place to do a Tarzan of the apes, by swinging on the pipe. Tarzan had more skill than I picking the vines to swing on. My metal water pipe broke in half; I was drenched with water gushing out of the pipe. The worst thing was that there were no copper pipes available from any plumbing warehouse in New Zealand. There were no such things as plastic pipes. The house was out of water for some three months. Another two might swipes from Dad. They hurt! I thought I had done enough Crime and Stupidity to last a life time, so decided to improve my behaviour. Started to help Dad do his Milk run at 2.00 AM in the morning and running messages for Mum. I was the perfect child, and still getting into trouble. In the next ten years, I had broken17 bones of my body. Carelessness on my part. Only three of them were multiples (Accidentally caused by my father.)

Some thing strange happened here!

I had wanted to be a doctor for a very long time that became an interrupted chore.

At 13 my parents thought they would like to go back to Australia Mum, Dad and the two youngest sons, my slightly older brother and myself.

As an adventure, that was a great idea. Trouble was I had to pay my fare on the Wanganella Steamship to Sydney, and we would leave after my intermediate years at school. This meant my involvement in lawn cutting, grocery deliveries after school, washing cars even helping Dad on his milk run, more a labour of love.

The day arrived and I had earnt my fare on the boat. What an achievement

Two years in Australia living at the beach at Cronulla. This was life. Two jobs Sun Newspaper, as a copy boy. Happening at a time in History paper was getting short and the Sun Newpaper sacked their copy boys and girls, became a window dresser for reatiler in men’s clothing.

One evening had to work late changing a window for a big presentation to commence the next day. Missed the Last rain to Cronulla and had to walk from halfway to home. I did not know the way to the road for home, so walked along the railway track. Stupid! Sure but would you do?

Any way Mum and Dad were disenchanted and Dad had been offered a big management job back in New Zealand, so they decided to back to New Zealand. I was happy as I would catch up with the young lady I was enchanted with, for a long, long time. Alas she did not want to know I was alive. My disappointment.

My yearning to become a Doctor took place again. I believed a good thing was to learn anatomy. I managed to get a position In the Main Public hospital as a mortician.

Performing 1,285 autopsies in the year. It certainly was a tremendous way to learn Anatomy. 18 months latter I was poached by a Funeral Director, who offered to double my wages, if I came and worked in his funeral business. His mortician was retiring. He had been told by many that I would be an excellent replacement. Yes I said.

Established a relationship with the retiring Mortician, who was approaching 64 years of age. The big thing he told me on the first morning was not to cut myself whilst cutting the bodies up. He did not look what he was doing cut himself on the hand and was dead within 13 days.

Gruesome!

Settling in I became an instant success. An extension of my performance was to drive the main car for the funerals, if I was not busy in the Mortuary.

This is the unbelievable area of this occupation. The mourners were all crying and screaming because their loved one had died. How would they bear up under the strain?

What were they going to next? The tears and the Questions never stopped.

They get into the car to drive to the cemetery, away from the public. The change in the atmosphere was unbelievable. The hatred that poured out of these mourners’ lips and mouths. The questions were not what were they going to do? But how soon before they get the money or the business? They laughed and joked when no one was watching. When we arrived at the cemetery, back to the tears and the crying. What a sham?

When I was 24, Val and I were married and we had three sons born in New Zealand. Val wanted a daughter. This ended up with twin sons born in Australia. I had met Val when I was 6 and at eight I told her, I would marry her. It took me 15 years to convince her that this was a great idea having me as a white knight.

Within two years I convinced an elderly gentleman to sell us his rundown milk bar sitting on a beach in one of the Vaucluse Beach of Auckland. We had saved Three thousand Pounds since we had got married. This 3,000 Pounds was accepted by the then owner and he left the balance of the money in as mortgage. Within 2 years we had paid out our mortgage and a year latter we sold our coffee lounge and an additional two shops, with a large piece of ground as one lot. Travelled around Australia for six months, went back to New Zealand and built our house over looking a golf course. Opened a craft (Val was an Occupational Therapist)

Was knocked over by a car sustained an injury and meant my back being put into a brace. Sold the Craft shop and went to work for an American Company, where I stayed for Seven years working New Zealand, Australia and Hawaii, Transferred to Sydney and worked all over Australia. Teaching New Salespeople how to sell 100 widgets a week.

Asked the big boss, if I could stay in Sydney for 6 months. The answer was ‘No, they needed me doing what I was doing.’

My decision was leaving within the month. The big boss said of course I could have six months in Sydney. This was an answer too late. Left and worked through English Company as a broker.

They ran a competition to sell $3,000,000 dollars of widgets in the year. Starting 1^st January to December 31^st. The achievers would go to World wide conference in Monaco France for one week. On the 6^th of February I went into hospital for the removal of the gallbladder Apart from there being 99 gallstones, something went wrong and instead of 7-10 days I was confined ten weeks and underwent three operations. Had an out of the body experience. This was rather unique experience.

The long and the short of the harrowing experience was I finely went back to perform with the Competion almost over in July. Literally 6 months left. Managed to create $3,300,000 dollars. In the January and the final six months. Achieved an extra week in Monaco and was the key note speaker.

Val was keen for me to leave the UK Company, as I was out every night and I had nearly died. Joined Weldon Publishing Company as NSW manager. Before you could say Robinson Crusoe, I left home Friday afternoon every fortnight to travel to another State and showed the 20 -30 Sales People how to sell books, and then back to Sydney Sunday by 9.00pm to airport. To start training my 20- 30 Salespeople in N SW.

By end of the year Val and I achieve a week at Great Keppel Island, even manage to Parachute Jumping. (No one believed Frank ever used all his senses during his life.) A week on an Echo Farm own by Kevin Weldon, where I was the key note Speaker at another conference, on how to sell books. Then finally to Bali for another Speaking Conference.

Kevin gave the Entire Company in Bali, that he had sold his nine Publishing Companies. Did any one want to buy the State Operations? My answer was no. Like to buy 20,000 books was the cost of buying a seven bedroom and three bathroom house.

A close friend of mine was a mortgage broker, he showed me some figures and literally overnight, I become a Mortgage Broker, working from home with 15 leading Finance Houses. It was a great time.

I was invited to a Facilities Christmas Party five years ago and they entertained everyone by having two artists walking around asking what their hobby was? The answer from me was I made marmalade and gave it away. He then drew MrMarmalade. As is the Symbol for Frank Shead at the Hub Centre.

I can end by saying

I WAS PASIONATE

“I DID IT MY WAY.”