Ride em Rhino

[BRIGHTON121]

Hello everyone. Next question of the day: Could be true, still alittle bit cloudy.. ...who rode the rhinos from the paddock to their sleeping quarters at dusk

All the best...
Lee

[Berni]

Hello everyone. Next question of the day: Could be true, still alittle bit cloudy.. ...who road the rhinos from the paddock to their sleeping quarters at dusk

All the best...
Lee

Me again, I think they are gonna take us both of this, its beginning to look like our own personal messaging service.

I think Simon rode the rhinos I heard that he had been killed by a rhino at the safari park he went to after WSP, I hope that was not true.

[BRIGHTON121]

Hello.
I think your right about Simon leading the heard in for the night coaxing the lead rhino by talking to them and riding the lead rhino pass the retaining gates. I did try to research his possible death but could not find any information regarding Simon (do we know his last name?) many others unfortunately are listed . I believe he went to work at John Aspinalls park but again time has gone by and the memories are fading

Bye for now!
Lee

[BRIGHTON121]

Hello.

Don't try this at home!
I must emphasize again two points,firstly road and rode mean different things I'm pleased we are not graded on our spelling sorry
The second point is Many of the rangers and staff would work hard and long hours to make sure the well being of their animals were met. After reading my first post about riding a rhino I wanted to be clear about the fact it was a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that we trusted the animals and the animals trusted us not a control issue or"because
we could"


Thank you
Lee

[Dahai]

Is the Simon to whom you are referring Simon Compton-Hall? Tallish, red brushed-back hair, freckles and rather lean? Worked with many of the animals until he pissed someone off and was moved on!
Loved life and would try anything - once. Cavalier attitude to all and a real nice guy

Worked at WSP in the mid-late 70's...

Dahai

[BRIGHTON121]

Hello Dahai'

Thank you, it's nice to know it was not all a dream! I must admit I think I
pis#@% a lot of people off to, it was the 70s!

Speak to you soon.


Lee.

[Dahai]

Hi Lee,

To be the bearer of bad news - even after so much time has passed - is not easy. Sometime after Simon left WSP he went to work for a safari park in Germany. (I do not remember which one but can find out.)
Unfortunately there he was killed by a tiger; the hows and whys I never asked. I guess I was not surprised to hear the news but all the same it shook me up somewhat.
Simon was never afraid to try anything; which is why he managed to upset some people. I think he worked in most sections of the park. During my tenure as Education Officer I had a bit to do with him when he was running the reptile house. It was one of the few times I was badly bitten by any animal. Standing, passing the time of day with Simon whilst he was hanging onto a king snake; me waving my arms around as I was talking, snake thinking food on the move; then tried to amputate my finger. Bled like a stuck pig; Simon thought it was a huge joke.. He did have the grace to bandage me up BUT only after putting the snake back!
He was also involved with a wrestling match (unseen by anyone) with the two reticulated pythons. They had not eaten for some considerable time due to illness. He arrived at work one morning to find one of them trying its best to swallow the other. His description of trying (and succeeding) to pull these two snakes apart was hilarious.
Then there was the ghost in the old mansion...
So many memories...even the not so good ones take on a certain allure after time...but mostly good ones...
Take care
Dahai

[BRIGHTON121]

Dahai,

Thank you very very much for all that information. Sad to hear about Simon but I had a funny feeling that something like that would happen. Changing the subject completely, I thought I got along quite well with the Education Officer but it was so long ago and I can not quite remember the name but I can see the face. Did you happen to own a 3 wheeler? And be a little into Meatloaf or am I mistaken? Will write more soon.

Thanks again for the reply.

Lee

[Dahai]

Hi Lee,

No I did not own that 3-wheeler! In fact had forgotten all about it until someone else mentioned it earlier. I had a dark green, left-hand drive 1300. Andy was mentioned above as the owner...was that Andy Kench?
I was however into Meatloaf. Still am for that matter much to the neighbour's enduring disgust - well when I actually have any neighbours! I wonder if you or anyone out there remembers the two concerts some of us attended in 76 or 77. Musicians that fitted the green haze that hung over the staff quarters from time to time to time....
Tangerine Dream in a way-out totally darkened concert hall at Oxford University and Vangelis at the Royal Albert Hall.
Days of yore...
Dahai

[BRIGHTON121]

Hello there,

I must pay more attention to the posts on this board (sorry Berni) . Your right Andy was the man. Vangelis! Now that brings back a lot of memories. I did go to a concert in a dark room with lots of green haze, . I remember nothing about that night apart from finding myself back at the mansion the next morning .

Change of subject, I see you settled in New Zealand. I am amazed how little I know about that country and how it always flies under the radar in the news , no bad news ever comes to the surface. When I am rich and famous that might be a nice place to live. What comes to mind are a few things about New Zealand, yes I must say it, sheep (sorry) and then there is Cloudy Bay Chardonnay. Yum Yum. Rolling green hills might be a big part of the landscape. In my very young days when there was no such thing as soft butter my mum would take out the New Zealand Anchor butter, a pound of rock solid butter and proceed to destroy the slice of bread until it looked like it had been through the wringer! The good old days.

Sorry to go on and on, must join the rat race now!


Thank you.

Lee

[Dahai]

Hi Lee,
I settled in NZ because I am a NZer! Althugh there has been a few countries in between UK and NZ.
I currently live in the highest village in NZ. At 740m I always seem to have my head in the clouds - wine or no wine!

That must have been the same concert. I think I may have driven some people there but remember that at all. I do remember the hypnotic effect of the green (and other colours) lights of the on-stage instruments. I think much of that green hazr probably went back to the Park with us! Don't even remember how many people went - a few from the dolphinarium I do know! (Which was where I was working at the time.)
Our butter still tastes the same - even if it is not PC to eat it! Mushroom season soon - oh I am looking forward to cooking some in HEAPS of the yellow stuff!
Dahai

[BRIGHTON121]

Hello again,

Sounds like the same concert I went to, cannot remember a thing
So into mushrooms a,well I think that is a good choice of vegetable or should I say fungi? We ( my wife and I ) love that earthy flavor it brings to a dish or even on a good slice of toast. Morel, portbello, trumpet, oyster, enoki ( I think thats how you spell it) and of course the humble button in a medley, yum yum.
Sorry, we do not have the pleasure of walking the hills and picking our own,it sounds like you might. Well nice talking, must go to bed to get my rest to join the rat race on Thursday !

See ya
Lee

[Dahai]

Hi again,

Walking the hills may be a bit of an understatement. We call them mountains around here! Surrounded by them. My partner is not a NZer and I am forever suggesting she leave the nice bright red ones with the white spots ALONE!

Lee, where did you work in the Park? And what years?
I am slowly getting thru many photos, there is also film now online with lion cubs and my son.

Dahai

[BRIGHTON121]

Hello again,

Sorry, mountains. I have seen a few pictures of New Zealand and they are magnificent, if I remember correctly what caught my eye was the fact they were green from top to bottom.

I think I was at WSP very late 77 through early 79 it was such a blur. I believe Randall was curator, very very nice man who lived on the park with his wife and I think children.

I was a trainer at the dolphinarium and worked under Tez. I did view the tape of you and your son a few months ago it may have been just a little before my time. I can remember setting my watch by the sound of Concord taking off around 12 noon from Heathrow Airport! Funny the things that come back when you think hard.

Bright red ones with white spots that would send you back to the very dark room with green haze

Well, it is that time again. I must join the rat race until we chat again have good day!

[Dahai]

We lived in the house directly behind the dolphinarium - bottom floor. Abdullah and his family lived upstairs - nice people.
So we lived with the sounds from the dolphins and Ramu daily!

Were you these when some idiot threatened to throw fish embedded with nails over the wall into the pool? Cause quite a stir until the law spoke to someone and the threats stopped. But it entailed a 24 hour watch for a while.
Frances Rendall was the curator at that stage. He, Trixie and two boys lived in the cottage by the main road. Very nice people...
take care

Dahai