Skerricks – reviewed

Ted Witham, Skerricks: from farm boy to poet-priest and world traveller. 2024

Reviewed by Shirley Claughton

for the Anglican Messenger, September 2024

An impressionable memory in Ted’s teenage years comes from a shearing shed encounter,  “Normally one or the other was away at boarding school, or at a Junior Farmer’s State conference or visiting girlfriends in Perth” But at this party, Ted at 15, was chaperoned by brothers Barry, 18, Len 20 and Jim 24…not only ordered in years but also in height” – from 6 foot to over 6 foot five. When the guttural rumble of motorbikes made their presence felt – spoiling for a fight: Katanning versus Tambellup“ we formed up shoulder to shoulder…making a slow synchronized progress towards the door” and the bikes slowly turned around, revved their bikes with a sneer and drove off…”

But Ted’s life has been punctuated by life-threatening calamities. He ponders that had he been born just a few months earlier, no treatment for his condition (pyloric stenosis) he would simply have died. A surprising number of close calls with death throughout his early life might have started as a “sense of being lucky” but “gradually matured in being grateful.

A wonderful tribute to Sir George Bedbrook OBE who performed experimental surgery, never attempted in Australia before, “which mammoth operation kept me out of a wheelchair and allowed me to walk, run and play sport for many years.” Nevertheless, in his characteristic humbleness, he treats the reader to an image of a theatre crowded with assistants and he “uncomfortably naked”.

He had nurtured his ability for language, from childhood, discovering French “between the pages of Arthur Mee’s Children’s Encyclopedia” and nurtured this secret interest, eventually becoming bilingual, but also studying and excelling in Hebrew and Greek. Ted ponders over the inability of the farming community to recognize the Noongar presence, “they simply weren’t there, and nor were the Noongar words that seeped into our talk…it was as if English had a stubborn claim on the landscape”, and felt subversive when he was discovering the love of language. In a heartening story, this came together when, at twenty-nine years, he met Rae. As curate in the parish, he was writing pastoral notes in French as a measure of confidentiality. “Rae was looking over my shoulder and asked ‘why are you writing in French? ‘Well, I struggled for a reply. it can be private to me.’ Rae grinned. Not if I can read it’”

As a 14-year-old, the experience of attending the Commonwealth Games made a huge impact, “I saw so much, experienced so much…my eyes bulged..I had never seen so many folk in one place. Anticipation swung through the crowd, sweeping me up as it passed…”  “In nine days I had seen the whole world, and the world really could never be the same again.”

Theatre was important – in his 20’s he was involved at all levels and even briefly considered it as a career, but explains his sincere reasons for “not wanting my psyche to be constantly shoved around by one character and then another…” and also seeing incompatibility with his vocation as a priest.  “Now in my eighth decade, I have returned to writing short plays and nudging them onto the stage” And as an addendum, he wonders “if I was wrong to fear the psychological and value downsides of the theatre. People know that plays are storytelling ..”

Ted was a leader of reforms in the institutions he was part of. Whilst he does sometimes suggest he was really in the right place at that time, Ted was a crucial part of the movement of change in recognizing the value of individuals in schools and institutions.

He credits Rae as “his anchor and a magnificent companion, who makes me the best person I can be.”

Some years ago, two delegates to a conference in Sydney, happened to be seated next to each other for the long plane ride from Perth. “Great,” said one, “we can have a good chat to pass the time”. “Sorry ,mate,” said Ted, I have to take a sleeping tablet to get me through the journey” and proceeded to sleep soundly for the next four hours.

For Ted, a huge part of life was survival – in this memoir, he always sees the good in everyone he meets – when they get ripped off by a taxi driver, he nevertheless reflects that “for the rest of our week in Rome, we learned how generous Italians are”.  This charitableness permeates all his encounters. It also helps to recognize the steps toward the journey to the Third Order of St Francis, undertaken by both Ted and Rae.

We are treated to the skerricks of his journey, every little bit revealing more of his humanity, his humbleness, his self-awareness, and his willingness to admit to mistakes. Skerricks is a tell-tale memoir and is a very good read.

Ted acknowledges how lucky he is that his four siblings are alive at the time of writing this memoir: Jim, Len, Barry and Marion, and how blessed he is with Rae, children Brendan and Clare, and grandchildren Sienna, Zoe, Asher and Immie and Aurora.

This book is self-published and available from the author and St Johns Books.

Copies can be made available at Synod for purchase if requested beforehand.

Email: TedWitham1@gmail.com

Cost $22.50 + postage.

Enquiries: books@stjohnsbooks.com.au