2001

2009

JANUARY

Thursday, January 15, 2009.
Monthly Hogarth Club Luncheon; The Chesser Cellar.
Diners: John Bannon, Tony Brooks, Wayne Anthoney, Peter Tregilgas, Paul Kolarovich, Malcolm Elliott, John Potter, Andrew Bishop, Leo Davis. Apologies: Michael Jacobs (Tasmania), Ian Hamilton (India).

Tony Brooks, Andrew Bishop, John Bannon, Malcolm Elliott, Peter Tregilgas, Wayne Anthoney, Paul Kolarovich, John Potter, Cynthia.

A double dose of spuds today. From the photo above, we ate; some sliced meat in a gravy with mashed as well as chipped spud, green beans; a first?

Brooks told of having attended a meeting down near the lakes Alexandrina and Albert, about the acid soil problem and possible remedies. He has a Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard there. He reported that it is clear the decisions have been made, independently of the meeting.

Andrew Bishop, John Bannon, Malcolm Elliott, Peter Tregilgas, Wayne Anthoney, Briony Moore, Paul Kolarovich, John Potter.

Andrew Bishop, John Bannon, Malcolm Elliott, Peter Tregilgas, Wayne Anthoney, Paul Kolarovich, John Potter.

Wayne read us four extracts from Bob Ellis’s forthcoming book. Ellis had left a manuscript copy with him. Bannon did not seem too keen on the sections that Ellis had shown him, about himself, at Christmas Hogarth. It is clear that the lads enjoyed what Wayne was reading above.

Wayne asked for the photos he knew I had for Bob Ellis, from that gathering at Christmas, saying he’d post them to him. I gave them to him but would have preferred to keep them and surprise Ellis if and when he ever turned up at Hogarth again. (In fact he next called in, as a non-diner, in October 2011, but not again as a diner till March and April 2012, when he was
here for his Shakespeare in Italy production).

It was mentioned to Bannon that he was wearing a belt, rather than braces. Was this an indication that he was feeling more comfortable, around the waist, after his operations? No, he’d been able to wear a belt when he’d last been wearing braces but had come to like wearing them and sometimes still did.

FEBRUARY

Thursday, February 19, 2009.
Hogarth Club Luncheon; Hogarth Room upstairs at The Chesser Cellar.
Diners: Michael Jacobs, John Bannon, Tony Brooks, Donna Mayhew, Tony Parkinson, Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, Ian Hamilton, Malcolm Elliott, John Potter, Prof Wilfrid Prest, Angus Redford, Leo Davis. Apologies: Wayne Anthoney (Northern Territory).

Today’s gathering was a little unusual in at least two ways. Only yesterday my malcontent mate Susana Fernandez complained and asked why no women attended Hogarth Club. Today we had our first woman guest (brought by Tony Brooks) since Rose Bennetts in March 2002. Second we had THREE chaps bringing along recently published books.

Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, Andreas Whiting, Primo Caon (introducing Andreas, new waiter, to the group), Michael Jacobs (hidden), Angus Redford, Donna Mayhew, Tony Brooks.

Donna Mayhew, Tony Brooks, Michael Jacobs, Ian Hamilton, John Potter.

Ian Hamilton, John Potter, Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, Malcolm Elliott.

Angus Redford, Tony Parkinson, John Bannon, Donna Mayhew, Tony Brooks, Andreas Whiting, Michael Jacobs.

John Bannon read from his recently published biography (Supreme Federalist: The political life of Sir John Downer; under Michael Jacobs hand at right), to protests from Angus Redford, who said we’d not brought enough wine to justify it being a reading group. When John made some comment about some downfall, or weakness exhibited by the elder Downer (Alexander’s grandfather, Sir John), Angus got in a swift dig along the lines ‘which neither of us ever had in a political career’, ever the political antagonist.

Robert ‘Red’ Hodge surprised us all by saying Bannon’s reading was the second best he’d ever heard and then telling the funniest story I’ve heard in years about a reading of ‘Valley of the Dolls’ at a drovers camp on Eyre Peninsular. The punch line was a chap saying he only wanted the page of the dirty bit.

A pamphlet for the soon to be released William Blackstone: Law and Letters in the Eighteenth Century, by Wilf Prest, are on the table at left front in the image above and near the book under Jacobs hand. Wilf read from his book and at first this seemed to be dull but it grew into a very witty and enjoyable piece.

Prof Wilfrid Prest, Angus Redford, Tony Parkinson, John Bannon, (holding his recently published biography) Donna Mayhew.

Tony Parkinson, John Bannon, Donna Mayhew, Tony Brooks.

Tony Parkinson brought his lighter weight recent publication, about the history of the Australian Grand Prix, at Lobethal. He, and others, read from it.

Donna Mayhew, Tony Brooks.

Parky’s book on the Grand Prix history prompted the other Tony to give an extraordinarily good impression of a vintage racing car.

Farwell time; John Bannon, Tony Parkinson, Tony Brooks, Michael Jacobs, Robert ‘Red’ Hodge.

MARCH

Thursday, March 19, 2009.

Hogarth Club Luncheon; Hogarth Room upstairs at The Chesser Cellar.
Diners: Michael Jacobs, John Bannon, Tony Brooks, Tony Parkinson, Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, Malcolm Elliott, John Potter, George Belperio, Frank Staltari, Tom Hardy, Andrew Bishop, David Bray, Leo Davis. Apologies: Wayne Anthoney.

Wayne attached the following two images to his apology. He was at the time playing The Gaffer in a production of “Everynight, Everynight", at La Mama Theatre in Melbourne. That’s actor Tony Busch to the left of a certain Chopper Reid Chap who’s come along to check the accuracy of the script. Note how much jewellery these types wear. At risk of being fitted with a pair of cement boots, Wayne declined to shake Chopper's hand.

John Potter, David Bray, Tom Hardy, George Belperio, Franco Staltari, Tony Brooks, Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, John Bannon, Malcolm Elliott.

Bannon had not seen Jacob’s review of his book, in the current Adelaide Review. Waitress Briony Moore went downstairs and got a copy for him. John protested that the Adelaide Review was not well distributed, lately, and much teasing followed.

Soon after we sat down I suggested to John that a reader from another capital city than Adelaide may be confused with his referring, in his Downer biography, to what I know as Saints or Hackney High, by about 4 titles (The Collegiate School, St Peters College, etc.) and he was not amused. ‘Just what a Princes man would quibble over.’ I had forgotten how much he identifies with Saints, in a manner I’ve noticed (sometimes of another school) in other Hogarthians.

Malcolm Elliott, Michael Jacobs, Tony Parkinson, John Potter.

Andrew Bishop, David Bray, Tom Hardy, George Belperio, Frank Staltari (hidden), Tony Brooks (grey hair), Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, John Bannon, Malcolm Elliott.

Someone's hands, someone's arms, George Belperio, waitress Briony, Frank Staltari, Brooks

APRIL

Thursday, April 16, 2009.
Hogarth Club Luncheon; Hogarth Room upstairs at The Chesser Cellar.
Diners: Michael Jacobs, John Potter, Prof Wilfrid Prest, Wayne Anthoney, Edmund Pegge, Leo Davis. Apologies: John Bannon.

As we chatted before sitting, waiting for Jacobs, who arrived very late, Wilf Prest spoke of editing a book that has several authors. He wants a consistency of punctuation in the individual articles, a concept I’d never considered or heard of and spoke of ‘the Oxford comma’, again something I’d never heard of, namely a comma in front of ‘and’; Tom, Peter, and Joan; used only/primarily when a list is involved.

Peter Tregilgas, Prof Wilfrid Prest, Michael Jacobs, Briony Moore, Edmund Pegge, Wayne Anthoney.

Peter Tregilgas, Briony Moore, Wilfrid Prest, Michael Jacobs.

Michael Jacobs, Edmund Pegge, Wayne Anthoney.

I wish I could remember and detail the discussion about Gypsy Jokers. Real class issues arose. One chap wants them all put in the army and sent to Afghanistan, and another, who has done no military service, agreed with him. Another claims that Kilburn Football Club launders their money and that that accounts for the cheap beer on tap.

Wayne has a paid role in the upcoming Adelaide City Council celebration of Col Light’s birthday. Trish Semple told me (at the T-Chow farewell lunch) that she was working on it.

There was long discussion of University student pranks. Jacobs told of a Tom The Cheap banner being strung between the spires of St Peter’s Cathedral (the Bishop’s name was Tom) and the Student Union being sued under the guidance of a one time Hogarth guest, Canon Cheesman (a memorable visit in October 2000), for damage done to the roof. The students did not have to pay the something like $300,000. The mountaineers who carried out the daring exercise had the foresight to photograph all stages thus documenting that the damage already existing. A feat that drew much admiration was the installation of giant footprints across the one or more of the Administration buildings of the University. The reasons for the demise of such things as Prosh, and active student involvement, were discussed. Among other theories was Wilf’s of the effect of continuous assessment. A wonderful prank recounted was that performed at an English University when a small car was dismantled then put together again, now inside a small room.

MAY

Thursday, May 21, 2009.
Hogarth Club Luncheon; Ground floor at The Chesser Cellar.
Diners: John Potter, Wayne Anthoney, Ian Hamilton, Leo Davis. Apologies: John Bannon, Peter Tregilgas.

With just four of us, we were placed at the isolated elevated table just to the left of the main entrance. It offered a lovely view of passing foot traffic along Chesser Place.

Wayne Anthoney, John Potter, Ian Hamilton.

John Potter, Ian Hamilton.

John and Wayne told about their various roles in films, and the disappointments associated. After ‘Sunday Too Far Away’ Wayne gave up his job expecting a film career that never eventuated. John has a 3 second spot in a current movie, showing at a suburban cinema. It was a surprise to hear that he had a role, smaller than Pegge’s, in ‘Black and White’. We were reminded, with much glee, of an alleged 6 week affair one of our lads had with Blanche D'Alpuget, on a boat trip to the UK. Ian asked how John got into movies at all and he told of his days making radio and TV advertisements and school broadcasts for the ABC. The $15 a session was enough to pay his rent and food, so that when he got four sessions a week he did quite well. He reminded us that John Bannon did similar work and that led Wayne to talk with regret about how Bannon changed and became distant, when he was Premier, only to reappear as his real and old self now that he is out of politics.

A religious phase in one chap's life was revealed when he and his wife considered setting up a religious commune with a preacher friend.

I asked Potter about his wife’s health given that she’d had a heart transplant about 7 or 8 years ago. He told the story, that he’d told before, and I’d forgotten, of waiting for a suitable heart, getting the call, travelling in a Flying Doctor plane, to Sydney, the post-operative complications, etc.

Small town Adelaide; heading west in Rundle St, to Premier Art Supplies, after Hogarth, I ran into John Potter, walking to his, second (?), house in Stepney. I gave him a lift home having done so before, then to a house on Penfold Road, at the top of Wattle Park.

Further small town; John’s Stepney residence is a literal short stone throw from Michael Jacobs and Tony Brooks shared office space, on Payneham Road, more or less across the road from what once used to be The Jam factory, where Ian used to install works. Potter left me mumbling about a Shearing Shed, for which he has no sheep, that he has plans to convert to a studio. Ian had asked him if he had space for a studio on his property near Auburn.

JUNE

Thursday, June 18, 2009.
Hogarth Club Luncheon; Hogarth Room upstairs at The Chesser Cellar.
Diners: Wayne Anthoney, Helen Womack, Peter Tregilgas, Malcolm Elliott, John Potter, Leo Davis. Apologies: John Bannon (Edinburgh), Michael Jacobs (Illness), Ian Hamilton, Tony Brooks (Paris), Wifred Prest (UK).

Malcolm Elliott, Wayne Anthoney, Helen Womack, Peter Tregilgas, John Potter.

Helen is amused by Wayne’s reading.

These notes, from dimmest and patchiest of memory, are written 12 years after the event; Wayne may correct errors and omissions.

Wayne had met Helen Womack, an acclaimed freelance journalist who lived in and worked in Russia for over 30 years. Was she just passing through Adelaide? (Wayne: No, I met her in Alice Springs, where she wanted to find out about Central Australia and its inhabitants.) She spoke very critically of Russian men and especially of their alcoholism and lack of drive, perhaps crushed by the system. In later years she was a correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and in 2013 she published Ice Walk: Surviving the Soviet Break-up and the New Russia. (Wayne: Despite Helen's contempt of Russian men she had married one, a classical pianist named Dmitri who wanted to be a tram driver and had another one on the side as a spare.)

Malcolm Elliot, waitress, Helen Womack, waitress, Peter Tregilgas, John Potter

JULY

Thursday, July 16, 2009.
Hogarth Club Luncheon; Hogarth Room, upstairs at The Chesser Cellar.
Diners: Michael Jacobs, Tony Brooks, Wayne Anthoney, Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, Ian Hamilton, John Potter, Edmund Pegge, Tony Colebatch, Terry Bradford, John Paisley, David Quick, Leo Davis. Apologies: John Bannon, Peter Tregilgas, Tony Parkinson.

Wayne Anthoney, John Potter, John Paisley, Tony Colebatch, Terry Bradford, Ian Hamilton (his arms only), Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, David Quick, Ed Pegge, Tony Brooks.

There was choice of main course; steak & kidney pudding or chicken. Potter is considering whether he made the right choice.

Clockwise from front left: Ian Hamilton, Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, David Quick, Ed Pegge, Tony Brooks, Michael Jacobs, Wayne Anthoney, John Potter, waitess Briony Moore, John Paisley, Tony Colebatch, Terry Bradford.

The steak and kidney puddings were served first.

John Paisley, Ian Hamilton, Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, David Quick.

David Quick came as Robert Hodge’s guest and had a wealth of legal anecdotes that I wished I could remember. He told of being close to Dame Roma Mitchell and of them more often than not being on the same side of any disagreement. He was labelled by associates as ‘teacher’s pet’. There was some hearing in which microphones were obvious in front of each person and assumed to be for simple amplification and, because nothing could be heard, were currently turned off. In fact they were solely for the benefit of the court reporter. One of David’s critics or teasers, sitting next to him said something like ‘Wait till she gets her ample bosoms around this one.’ Next day Dame Roma comes into David’s office, apoplectic, and handed him a copy of the draft of the Court Record, with the above faithfully recorded. David got in contact with the relevant person who said, yes, indeed, the record must, by law, stand. David applied undue pressure and had the Court Record amended.

He also told a great yarn about steering an Australian Aircraft Carrier and being involved in causing a man to go overboard, following an order given by David, in a practice exercise, which was followed literally when it should not have been.

Clockwise from front left: Ed Pegge, Wayne Anthoney, John Paisley, John Potter, Michael Jacobs, Tony Colebatch (barely visible), Ian Hamilton, Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, Tony Brooks.

Ed Pegge, Wayne Anthoney, John Paisley, John Potter.

Tony Brooks, Cynthia (?), Briony Moore, Michael Jacobs.

AUGUST

Thursday, August 20, 2009.

Hogarth Club Luncheon;
The Chesser Cellar.
Diners: Michael Jacobs, Tony Brooks, John Bannon, Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, Ian Hamilton, John Potter, Malcolm Elliott, Prof Wilfrid Prest, Leo Davis. Apologies: Wayne Anthoney, Tony Parkinson, Andrew Bishop.

Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, Michael Jacobs, Ian Hamilton, Tony Brooks, John Bannon.

A good joke was told well by Brooks. Two Irish workers building a house; chap bangs in a nail then throws away the next couple, bangs in a nail, and another, throws away another, etc., etc. Mate says ‘What you doing? You’re wasting nails. What’s wrong?’ ‘It’s the bloody nails. Half them have the point on the wrong end’. ‘Oh, you bloody fool, Patrick. Those are for the other wall.’

I’d forgotten that Robert ‘Red’ Hodge was due for a knee replacement operation a week or so after our last meeting so I was stunned to see him, with the help of a stick, climb the Hogarth stairs just three weeks after the operation. Note his stick to Potter’s left in the next image.

Wilf Prest, John Potter.

Wilfrid Prest told of plans to write a book about South Australia while happily revealing that he has little sense of, feeling for, South Australian history.

Tony Brooks, John Bannon (nose!), Malcolm Elliott, Michael Jacobs, Wilf Prest, John Potter.

Interesting discussion developed about chaps, including the Anglican who turned Catholic, accused of sexual abuse. All who actually spoke supported the idea that just being named as a suspect was an injustice and no sympathy was shown at all for victims. It was suggested that most complaints are malicious and unsubstantiated. One chap gave an example of a psychotherapist accused of abusing a patient he’d already diagnosed as being delusional, on whom he’d performed a naked massage. Very few were prepared, as the teller was, to support the position of the therapist. His position was that the behaviour needed to be judged in the context of the 1970s and his proven success helping women become orgasmic.

Ian Hamilton, Cynthia(?)Tony Brooks, John Bannon, Malcolm Elliott, Michael Jacobs.

Brooks told of a group who used to buy Platform Tickets, at the Adelaide Railway Station, and then, with white gloved hands, they’d pat the steam engine. Good yarn, beautifully told, of course, but were there steam trains still pulling The Overland Express, when he was a Uni student? He’s that bit older, so perhaps yes. He also told of the same group going to the Zoo, with bananas and a length of string and taunting gibbons, etc.

John Potter, Ian Hamilton, Tony Brooks, John Bannon.

In the image above Bannon is reading us examples of bad reviews of food, collected across some centuries (Dr Johnson I think was quoted) in an allusion to the cruel review of Cheong Liew’s work, in The Australian, by John Lethlean, a couple of weeks back. It led to Cheong retiring.

Tony Brooks, John Bannon, Malcolm Elliott.

It was interesting to hear some background, from Bannon, on the SACA Executive who was sacked, a couple of weeks back, for revealing commercial in confidence material about SACA/SANFL negotiations about footy at the Adelaide Oval. It seems that Port Power, a number of Melbourne clubs, and the AFL, want AFL games played at the Adelaide Oval. Bannon said the guy who got the sack was good value but had to go.

Bannon had good yarns to tell arising from his time in Edinburgh and his attendance at two tests, Cardiff & Lords. He shook hands with somebody whose father batted with Dr Grace, near the turn of the century so he was proud to announce two degrees of separation. I reminded the rest that we were then only three degrees away. John tried to meet a friend in the Members at Lords and there was no way at all he was going to get in. But he did get an upgrade on his tickets after having been spotted at Cardiff.

Elliott told an urban legend story of Sudanese renters lighting fires in the middle of the floor. That led to stories about people who let their houses fall into states of disrepair and accumulation of refuse that reminded me of my and another chap’s living circumstances.

Wayne Anthoney’s letter to The Australian was raised a number of times, mainly because few had read it.

Letter to The Editor, The Australian, Monday, August 17, 2009.

As one who has worked with and for Aboriginal organisations in various capacities for many years, and having had some success at cutting through bureaucratic nonsense, I will explain how, given the opportunity, I would approach the problem of the desperate housing shortage in Aboriginal communities.

In a typical community I would meet with the community council and determine how many houses were needed and where they should be sited. This process, with due regard for Aboriginal time-fames and consultation processes, might take me a week at most. I would then visit a maker of high-quality transportable homes that I know in Alice Springs and place an order. There might be a lead-time of a month before the homes began rolling out. This would give me time to get the site preparation and services provision done using bush contractors.

From the first meeting, I reckon I could have 30 homes up and runniing in about six months. When the Government consultants and other gents in shorts and long sox turned up to explain why I couldn't do it I would tell them to go away, but perhaps not in those exact words.

Wayne Anthoney

Willunga, SA.

SEPTEMBER

Thursday, September 17, 2009.
Hogarth Club Luncheon; Hogarth Room, upstairs at The Chesser Cellar.
Diners: Michael Jacobs, Ian Hamilton, Wayne Anthoney, John Bannon, Ian Hamilton, John Potter, Peter Tregilgas, David Quick, Leo Davis. Apologies: Tony Parkinson, Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, Tony Brooks, George Belperio, Wilfrid Prest.

Michael Jacobs, John Bannon, Ian Hamilton, David Quick, Wayne Anthoney, Cynthia,Peter Tregilgas, John Potter.

Jacobs claimed responsibility, in a nicely told story, via a cricket match between Press and parliamentary staff and politicians, for causing John Howard refusing to say sorry. Howard fielded very poorly, many times, kept saying sorry and Jacobs, the bowler, told him it was unnecessary.

Bannon claimed responsibility for some children’s performer, was it Peter Coombe, opening a new career as an entertainer for adults; he suggested to the students at St Marks that they engage him and he was big hit.

David Quick, Wayne Anthoney, Peter Tregilgas.

Wayne and Meredith have had Swine Flu. Their little grand-daughter brought it back from Edinburgh.

I came into one anecdote too late to catch the preamble but I assume David Quick explained how he was able to study Modern History, at Norwood High School, while a student at St Ignatius. Presumably it wasn’t offered at his school. Back at St Ignatius, once a fortnight he had an interview with a priest, the Master of Studies, I think, was his title. David began confessing that, as a prefect, he was having trouble having to say and read certain things that he did not believe. After some numbers of these meetings the Brother said ‘David, for some of us Doctrine is unsatisfactory. This is something you don’t need to tell your parents.’ Earlier David had told (in response to Andrew Bishop chortling that milkmen used to leave a lot of happy women on their rounds) that his father had had some operation that, intentionally or not, left him unable to sire children. After 6 or so years his mother fell pregnant, a sister was born and questions of a medical miracle arose.

John Bannon, Ian Hamilton, David Quick.

Bannon retold stories about Don Dunstan visiting his home when he was either Student President (I think that) or On Dit Editor. His Mum was pleased, thrilled, but Bannon was not, because Dunstan was threatening to sue over implication of his homosexuality in an On Dit column. I forget the author’s name but it was well known SPSC name. The Clifton Pugh Stobie pole event was raised (Ian complained that near nude women were involved at the launch outside the hairdressers on Prospect Rd) and John pointed out that nobody has yet (dared?) write a biography of Dunstan. It was only by watching Artscape on ABC, just this week, that I learned that Dunstan had an affair with Clifton Pugh’s wife.

Michael Jacobs, John Bannon, Ian Hamilton, David Quick, Wayne Anthoney, Peter Tregilgas, John Potter, Andrew Bishop.

I caught the edge of a conversation that stirred my wobbly memory. The name Bobby Cundell rang a bell. I didn’t, at first, respond to the name Peter Hicks, who I was told she’d married, in about 1967. Bobby, John Potter told me, went on to dance with the Australian Ballet, I think. Then it clicked. Peter Hicks is my recent re-acquaintance, now Wallace McKittrick. It turns out that Potter, as a friend of Cundell, was Best Man at the wedding and Peter Tregilgas’ daughter is Wallace’s son’s girlfriend. Not bad out of a sample of nine. Too small a town!!

OCTOBER

Thursday, October 15, 2009.

Hogarth Club Luncheon; Hogarth room, upstairs at The Chesser Cellar.
Diners: Michael Jacobs, Tony Brooks, Wayne Anthoney, John Potter, Malcolm Elliott, David Quick, Leo Davis. Apologies: John Bannon, Wilfrid Prest, Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, Ian Hamilton, Tony Parkinson.

Robert ‘Red’ Hodge was at a funeral, possibly on Eyre Peninsula.

Wayne Anthoney, John Potter, Michael Jacobs, Cynthia, David Quick, Tony Brooks, Malcolm Elliott.

Wayne spoke of his writing a skit for the 2010 "Be Your Age" Old Footlighters' Fringe revue, that involves an ‘air orchestra’, a play on the idea of ‘air guitar’.

Michael Jacobs, Leo Davis, Tony Brooks, Malcolm Elliott, Wayne Anthoney, John Potter. (photo by David Quick).

Michael Jacobs reported that he’d phoned Angus Redford and been told he’d had a series of health crises. These include a simple vasectomy that revealed a cyst that was removed and that may or may not be linked to contracting meningitis and then a heart attack!!

Michael Jacobs, David Quick, Tony Brooks.

Michael is going to Bob Hawke’s 80^th birthday party. John Potter told of having 16mm film of Hawke, aged about 8, on Yorke Peninsula. Currently on video he will transfer it to DVD and let Michael have a copy.

Michael Jacobs, David Quick, Tony Brooks, Malcolm Elliott, Wayne Anthoney, John Potter.

Wayne spoke in favour of the ‘anti bikie’ legislation. He justified his fears with his being 69.

He read of a defence, written by Bob Ellis, of Barak Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize Award. David Quick spoke with admiration of the group sitting through the reading in silence. Brooks quipped ‘That was only because we were eating’. David seemed genuinely impressed with the group’s silence but perhaps he was hinting that the item warranted criticism. He said ‘Ellis is like a comet. He can be quiet for ages and then off he goes’. Perhaps he had the wrong metaphor, unless he was alluding to recurring ones like Halley’s.

David Quick, Tony Brooks.

David Quick spoke against standing anti-corruption bodies like ICAC.

Stories were told of a famous Adelaide stand-over man. He retrieved items, stolen from the SE corner of Adelaide home, of a then barrister, who is now a Judge.

David reported that Don Riddell is looking poorly. It was pointed out that he turns 80 soon.

NOVEMBER

Thursday, November 19, 2009.
Hogarth Club Luncheon; Downstairs at The Chesser Cellar.
Diners: Tony Brooks, Wayne Anthoney, Peter Tregilgas, Leo Davis. From pudding on: Malcolm Elliott, Apologies: John Bannon, Wilfrid Prest, Ian Hamilton, Tony Parkinson.

We were seated at the downstairs elevated table 2. Our numbers were too small to justify service upstairs or perhaps a better paying group had been preferred.

Malcolm Elliott, Tony Brooks, Wayne Anthoney, Peter Tregilgas.

Tony Brooks again showed his eye/ear for a good story. He brought along and read from an online extended account of a story that appeared in today’s Advertiser. Tony’s longer version had all the real interest and humour that had been left out of the truncated Advertiser version and, of course, he read it so well.

Tony’s news item reminded Wayne to retell a good yarn. An elderly woman hears, on a radio bulletin, that a driver is heading the wrong way on the local freeway. Agitated for her husband’s safety she phones him, on his mobile. ‘Watch out Dear. There’s some loony driving the wrong way on the freeway.’ ‘What do you mean ‘a loony’? There’s hundreds of them!’

We had more wine than we needed and one bottle needed to be left unopened. Which? Tregilgas spotted my Greenock Creek and made sure, as I would have, that it was opened. The final choice came down to his bottle or Brooks bottle. Brooks made sure that his was not opened and that I take it home, as a generous thank you for photos.

DECEMBER

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Hogarth Club Luncheon; Hogarth Room; upstairs at The Chesser Cellar.
Diners: Wayne Anthoney, John Bannon, Wilfrid Prest, Edmund Pegge, Robert Red’ Hodge, John McGowan, Peter Tregilgas, Liam Gaunt, Malcolm Elliott, Ian Hamilton, Rod Wallbridge, Leo Davis. Late, non dining visits: Angus Redford, Ursula McGowan. Apologies: Tony Brooks, Andrew Bishop, George Belperio, Michael Jacobs, Tony Parkinson.

Wayne Anthoney, Malcolm Elliott, Gus Redford, Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, Wilfrid Prest.

John Bannon, Ian Hamilton, Ed Pegge, John McGowan.

Pegge read some funny Limericks and performed a rerun of the Ronnie Barker spoonerism sketch. Otherwise there were none of the traditional retellings of old jokes but ‘The White Gorilla’ and ‘The Booborowie Brass Band’ were referred to.

Wayne Anthoney, Malcolm Elliott, Gus Redford, Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, Wilfrid Prest.

Leo Davis, Liam Gaunt, Wayne Anthoney, Malcolm Elliott, Wilfrid Prest, Peter Tregilgas, Rod Wallbridge, John Bannon, Ian Hamilton.

Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, Wilfrid Prest, Peter Tregilgas, Rod Wallbridge.

Rod Wallbridge told, with obvious pride, that he’d fathered children in 3 of the last 4 decades, the 70s, the 80s, and the 00s but he wasn’t sure about the 90s.

Wilfrid Prest, Briony Moore, Peter Tregilgas, Rod Wallbridge, John Bannon.

Peta Van Rood’s recent death came up and then followed appreciative chortles about her appearing topless, possibly in an On Dit ‘Abreast of the Times’ feature. Can you spot her, in the front row centre, in Rundle St., in April 1971, demonstrating against Australian involvement in the Vietnam war? Two way traffic in those pre Mall days.

Liam Gaunt, Wayne Anthoney, Malcolm Elliott, Wilfrid Prest (just his shirt), Peter Tregilgas, Rod Wallbridge (pate).

Paul Lloyd and his flute have permanently moved to Port Augusta so Wayne accompanied our carolling on blues harp.

Robert ‘Red’ Hodge, Peter Tregilgas, Rod Wallbridge.

After some disappointing failures, for the last two years Peter’s famous teabag rocket has launched successfully.

Rod Wallbridge, Ursula McGowan, John McGowan.

Ursula, a rare and welcome bumpy chap visitor to Hogarth, dropped in to collect John.

AND THAT, FOLKS, WAS 2009.