Hands off my Hills Hoist
A brawl has broken out in a Queensland retirement village following a dispute over a Hills Hoist clothesline.
83-year-old pensioner Jim Wedrat installed the line in his backyard six months ago after he found his sheets going mouldy on the wall-mount clothesline provided by his North Rockhampton retirement home PresCare Alexandra Gardens.
He said he told local managers of his plan three months prior and heard no objections. However, the administrators called him after the line was installed and said it “needed to be taken down”, he told The Courier Mail.
Wedrat’s lease agreement states that he is prohibited from making alterations to the property without PresCare’s approval. However, Wedrat said he has not been flagged by administrators for other alterations he carried out, such as the installation of reticulation lines for shared areas.
“I’ve spent about a thousand dollars out here [in the garden] and this is the thanks I get,” Wedrat said.
Wedrat’s neighbours Denver and Vivien, who share the yard, told A Current Affair the line is unnecessary.
“[Vivien doesn’t] need it. I don’t need it,” 76-year-old Denver said.
Denver said Wedrat accused him of reporting the line installation to PresCare and threw the first punch.
“He’s telling everyone around here that I rung up and dobbed him in but I couldn’t care, he can have it there, it’s not hurting me,” Denver said.
“I did abuse him a bit, but it wasn’t over the Hills Hoist. It was over the fact that he was telling everyone I rung Brisbane up.
“I walked over and abused the crap out of him. He come out his door punching so I put him on the ground.
“The only way I’ll get stuck in is if he comes punching at me again. I’m not going to let anyone stand there and punch me.”
PresCare initially told The Courier Mail the line needed to be removed to ensure the residents’ “safety and wellbeing”.
However, in a statement to A Current Affair, PresCare CEO Greg Skelton said the aged care facility has reached an agreement with Wedrat.
“PresCare is happy to announce the matter with Mr Wedrat has been resolved to both parties satisfaction,” said Skelton.