H.I. & R.H. Archduchess Regina of Austria is Dead

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It is with profound regret that we announce the death of H.I. & R.H. Archduchess Regina of Austria - Hungary, wife of H.I. & R.H. Archduke Dr. Otto von Habsburg of Austria - Hungary, (de jure Emperor), who has died at the age of 85 in the couple’s home Villa Austria in Pöcking in Bavaria. H.I. & R.H. received the last rites before she peacefully left this world in the circle of several close family members.

"My mother was the model for all of us, with her we lose a great personality who was influenced us all with her unwavering faith and her positive outlook on life", eldest son H.I. & R.H. The Archduke Karl said in a brief written statement.

H.I. & R.H.The Archduchess suffered from heart problems for some time and as late as 2005 suffered a stroke which she then managed to recover from enough to be able to participate in big festivities and celebrate holidays in the circle of her family in the past few years. She was last seen in public at a major event almost two years ago when attending a family wedding.

H.I. & R.H. The Archduchess Regina was born on 6 January 1925 as Regina Helene Elizabeth Margarete, Princess of Saxe-Meiningen, in the city of Würzburg. She was the youngest of four children of Prince Georg, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, head of the Ducal House, and his wife, Klara-Maria, born Countess von Korff genannt Schmissing-Kerssenbrock. She studied social work in Bamberg, and later worked as a social worker at a refugee home in Munich. It was there that she met H.I. & R.H. The Archduke Otto when he came to visit the Hungarians in 1949.

The engagement between Crown Prince Otto of Austria, best known as Archduke Otto or only Otto von Habsburg, and Princess Regina of Saxe-Meiningen was announced in 1950. As members of the Habsburg family were banned from entering their home country of Austria, the couple married in the Église des Cordeliers in Nancy, France, on 10 May 1951. The church of the Cordeliers is the burial place of several members of the House of Lorraine. The marriage was blessed by Pope Pius XII.

The couple lived in Villa Austria in Pöcking at Lake Starnberg in Bavaria since 1954. Together they had seven children there. First came five daughters: Archduchess Andrea (1953), Archduchess Monika (1954), Archduchess Michaela (1954), Archduchess Gabriela (1956) and Archduchess Walburga (1958). Then came two sons: Archduke Karl (1961) and Archduke Georg (1964). The couple now has 22 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.

The Archduchess will lie in state in the Church of Sankt Ulrich in Pöcking from Saturday to Sunday, there the Bishop of Augsburg, Walter Mixa, will then hold a requiem mass on Tuesday. On Wednesday she will be buried in her family’s crypt at Friedhof in Heldburg, Thuringia.

Our sympathy, prayers and condolences are with the Imperial Family at this sad time.

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January Was Visitors' Month

After being in virtual drought from visitors since November, everyone seemed to want to turn up at Schaanwald in January.

First off the crease were Bob and Geary who were on a State Visit to Ballarat and decided to make a quick detour to Buninyong on a Saturday morning. They were taken in the courtesy car on a quick scenic tour of the local attractions before enjoying morning tea in the drawing room.













On the same day Alan motored up - he was attending some very important business meetings and had time to drop into Schaanwald to have a pot of tea and some luscious cakes











Later in the month it was Tony's turn. He had wanted to visit the old Macaroni Factory in Hepburn Springs so on getting into the courtesy car at the railway station it was off there where we both had an enjoyable lunch. In the evening we looked at pictures in the cinema. The next day (Sunday), Tony took Bart for a long walk after which he collapsed doing his impression of a steam train.

AAPT again!

I have had an email and two 'phone calls from AAPT in response to my querying their account which was full of errors. They acknowledged the errors and said that they would be rectified - all very apologetic of course.

Well I have got the current bill - and it is full of errors again.

So, I have had to send them yet another email explaining all this and then they will reply and probably ring me up again telling me it's fixed and then I will get the bill and then it will be wrong again and then I will send them an email....

Strange Human Behaviour

I live on an 18 acre estate. I have a driveway into the property from the road servicing it and this leads to a circular driveway at the front of the main house. There are also two extra driveways off the main driveway. One leads to the garages at the rear of the property, the other to the unit and cinema.

Now if you are a person blessed with a degree of common sense (which it appears the majority of the population are not), you would see the front of the main house as you drive up the driveway and park in front of it. Not so. A lot of people simply go straight up the driveway to the rear of the property and park outside the garages. They then get out of their car and go walkabout. I might have been pottering about in the rear garden and come across these aimless wanderers. I of course challenge them asking them what they are doing wandering around my property. Too often the answer comes back "Well, we were trying to find the way in?" To which I reply - well don't you normally go to the front door of a house?"

Then there are those who actually do manage to steer themselves to the front of the house. Despite their being a staircase leading to the veranda and the front door - they seem oblivious to both and still wander aimlessly about - in most cases finding their way yet again to the back and the garages?

Now this staircase at the front has a half-door with a slip catch on it - an extension of the railings on the veranda.. (The door is there primarily to keep the dog in). So, you would think wouldn't you that obviously this staircase leads somewhere - there is a veranda in full view and the front door is to the left a bit. No. People just stand at the top of the stairs and yell out thinking somehow that their voice wall penetrate a brick wall. (I stayed home this morning to receive a delivery from TNT Freight - and I am sure that this is what the driver did - because his card telling me he couldn't deliver was left at the top of these stairs and not under the front door).

The best I have saved for last. I had people arrive here at night, and despite the main house being lit from top to toe, they got out of their car, bypassed the staircase (which has two large lights at the bottom of it), got a torch and went in pitch blackness up to the unit - also in darkness and knocked on the door there...

Reminds me of when I worked for the Odeon (cinema), Leicester Square in London. We had people who instead of queuing around the corner of the building waiting for the next performance, they would instead queue right across the road!

Why do most people have brains the size of which would fit into the beak of a canary?

Healthy Hints Brought to You From Your Friendly Pet

Lawyers!

Lawyers are a breed that absolutely exasperate me at times.

They say that we are all equal under the law - but whoever said that did not account for how much it costs to gain legal representation.

I sold some property recently (to take advantage of the buoyant market before Christmas). As I had a huge whack of bills to pay - I requested a Section 27 Certificate be completed to enable me to gain early access to the deposit monies. (The final settlement is not due until the 7th April and I could not wait this long!)

The purchaser agreed to my request and signed the Section 27 Certificate.

Now in normal course one would expect that common sense would prevail and a solicitor having received a request for early release of deposit funds would have thought - "Oh yes, somebody must need to get their hands on that money quickly".

No, common sense, nor courtesy prevails. Despite nearly daily requests to release the funds or provide a reason as to why the funds are being kept - there has been no answer from the purchaser's solicitor.

The law does allow 28 days from the signing of the Contract for an objection to be lodged.

That 28 day period has expired and I still do not have the funds.

You know exactly what has happened don't you? The solicitor involved has salted the money away and is earning interest on it at my expense!

I have therefore now claimed that interest back and demanded funds be paid forthwith.

Why is it that in this day and age you have to check everything thoroughly, fight for your rights and put up with all manner of chicanery?

Conclusion to AAPT Bill Saga?

Since I issued an ultimatum to AAPT I have received an email reply back.

Yes, they have made a mistake. Yes, I have been overcharged $30. Yes, I was right there should not have been an overdue amount showing on my internet login. In fact my account is now apparently $3 in credit.

Well, I am glad that it is sorted out - but - if they made their bills clearer and didn't take so long to clear things up, everyone would be happier.

Persistence pays in the end!