My grandfather, Charles Vincent Watson, was a lieutenant-colonel with the 15th Battalion on the night of April 24, 2018, when the Australians won a hard-fought victory at Villers-Bretonneux in northern France.

But much of the Villers-Bretonneux, including the school, was left in ruins.

At home in Melbourne he became president of the committee raising money to rebuild the school. Much of the money was in the form of pennies donated by schoolchildren.

When the newly rebuilt school was opened, the words N'oublions jamais l'Ausralie (let us never forget Australia) was painted in large letters above the playground. The French Government rewarded Charlie Watson by making him a chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur.

Charlie's second son, Charles Rolleston Watson, became a doctor who practised in Sydney for about 15 years before we moved to Cobargo in the mid-1960s. My sister Mary and I went to Bega High, travelling there and back each day in the ancient Reo bus.

Our dad, who was immensely proud of his father, served Cobargo and Bermagui until his death in 1988.

Each year (virus rules allowing) many Australians travel to Villers-Bretonneux to visit the huge war memorial that was built in the 1930s. And in the town you will find that the locals love Australia and Australians.

The Villers-Bretonneux contribution to Cobargo's bushfire relief is a telling symbol of that love. The circle is complete.

Regarding the Tantawangalo Forestry Corporation fine, department supervisors and administrators should take responsibility for their work and pay the penalty when they don't comply with the regulations. Otherwise isn't it just the taxpayers who pay the fines...again.

It's wonderful that governments are now making saving citizens' lives their main priority. Next, I'm looking forward to a strictly enforced speed limit on all Australian roads of 30kmh. This will save 1000 lives a year and not just the lives of septuagenarians like me but of children and young people.

Sure, there will be some economic disruptions and some dislocation to our daily lives, but that will be nothing to a society that has embraced the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs, the destruction of thousands of small businesses, the closure of schools and our enforced separation from our families and loved ones.

Shame, shame on you Bega Valley Shire Council for approving such a hideous development. Already one obviously illegal height dwelling on Young St ruining the streetscape and now you approve an admittedly illegal one on Bermagui's beautiful main street. Bermagui was the last unblemished seaside town on the South Coast. The first nail in the coffin!

(To the tune of The Doors song)

Riding out the storm.

If you're old, spend time at home -

you can gossip on the phone.

If you're young, you should play fair -

please don't poison someone's air,

riding out the storm.

Download the App that traces

those half-forgotten faces.

We're on the same hard road,

so try to tote your load,

riding out the storm,

until we're right out of the storm.