Max Ricks Recollections

The old Cherry Gang 1960’s

The Cherry Gardens monthly dances which were popular and were held on the last Saturday of each month at the Memorial Hall, and people of all ages came from many surrounding districts and also Adelaide. At the conclusion of the dances which were held on a Saturday night young people would often chatter for a little while at the hall talking to new friends. These were mainly unattached young people, teenage or a little older, and enjoyed the mixed company. In time, this group of about a dozen boys and girls became friends, and it was suggested that we go to other places for outings such as the pictures and dances in other towns as a group.

These people came from Coromandel Valley, Glenalta and some from Adelaide and for 3-4 years we spent our Saturday nights together as a group. I (Max Ricks) was the oldest member of the party nearing 30 years old at the time, and the parents of the younger people were happy to have a non-drinking older person with their children. There was a mixture of teenage and early 20’s boys and girls and we had two unspoken rules which we all abided by, no alcohol and no sex.

One thing which we did as a group was to take a load of Home for Incurables people for outings once a month on a Sunday. We would load as many wheelchair patients as our 2-3 ton Bedford truck could hold, and go on picnics or in summer visit the beach. This group of wheelchair people became friends, and we would also take them to restaurants at night when one of them had a birthday. We had no restrictions on what time we had the folks back to the home in Wattle St, Unley, so long as we put them to bed at the finish.

These were lovely times. Another thing which we as a “gang” did was to walk between Cherry Gardens and Adelaide gathering money for Radio Station 5AD Good Friday Appeal for the Adelaide Children’s Hospital. This random group of friends entertained together for 3 or 4 years until various marriages and changes of location dissolved the party. But even in 2011 members of the old “Cherry Gang” are still good friends. People who formed the group included Beverley and Phillip Scherer of Coromandel Valley Pam and Barbara Cowan of Glenalta Alan Frith from Adelaide and John Coats and yours truly from Cherry Gardens. Other friends of these people would sometimes come along