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2012

JANUARY

A smallish gathering. This series of photos features Red Hodge in ebullient mood.

Red with Wilf Prest and Mike Normal Norman

Clockwise from bottom: Anthoney, Bannon, Cobbs, Brooks, Red, Wilf, Normal

Waiter, Brooks, Red, Primo

FEBRUARY

Of the February 2012 gathering Leo writes -

John Bannon’s guest was Chris Gent, recently retired from some students’ advisory position at Adelaide University, I think.  Chris is, John’s brother in law.
 
This was the first time I’d invited Ghil’ad Zuckermann to Hogarth and so I’d phoned him to ask whether I needed to warn the kitchen about dietary matters.  No, he had just one dietary rule; the food must be delicious.  But it still came as something of a shock when the waitress, Elodie Gruge, announced that the main course was a PORK CHOP!!!

Clockwise from left - Ghil'ad, Andy Bishop's brother, Red Hodge, Chris Gent, John Bannon

Malcolm Elliot, Paul Kolarovich, Andy's brother, Brooks

Angus Redford, Elodie Gruge, Andy Bishop, Chris Gent

Angus Redford, Andy Bishop, Chis Gent, John Bannon

MARCH

From Leo -

It may unsettle some or all lads to know that I keep a digital diary (including photos) of all matters in my very very trivial life, including Hogarth, and I include some, not all, comments from the March 2012 muster, just to refresh your memory. 

Diners: John Bannon, Wayne Anthoney, Andrew Bishop, Wilfrid Prest, John McGowan, Ian Hamilton, Ghil’ad Zuckermann, Bob Ellis, Leo Davis.

Non seated visit: Primo Caon. Apology:  Robert “Red” Hodge.
 

Hogarth rarely comes as good as today’s gathering.

As we stood chatting over pre dinner nibbles and drinks, and people arrived, Andrew introduced Pegge, perhaps to Ghil’ad, as “the famous name dropper”. Pegge protested “I can’t help it if I know lots of famous people”. I gave Pegge a nudge and said “Well I will never be accused of being a name dropper because I don’t know anybody famous.” Pegge could not let my little joke roll; “But you know me!”

There were two Adelaide University Professors at today’s gathering, including my guest, linguist Prof Ghil’ad Zuckermann; I took him along last month too. We will watch for him in episode 2 of Stephen Fry's Sunday night program on language, “Fry’s Planet Word”. Ghil’ad told me, some days later, that he was interviewed by Fry for 7 hours (I think meaning he was with him for that long) for the 3 or 4 minute segment used. 

Bob Ellis entertained us, as he always does, even when his stances annoy a few, with two or was it three, scurrilous and wickedly funny readings. 

Today was Elodie’s last Hogarth. Her partner, a chef maybe, has taken a position in Brisbane and she is to follow him there. She seemed markedly unenthusiastic saying “I have a good job, a good boss and lovely customers….”I, we, will miss her.

Ian was not happy with the pork. “You don’t mind steak being a little rare but pork is another matter. It must be cooked right through”. I didn’t like it, actually, but not because of the rareness. Mainly too much meat for me.  It is odd that the two times I have invited Ghil’ad along we have been served pork. Last month it was a pork chop. When I invited him I asked if I needed to warn the kitchen and he said “I have one rule about food that I adhere to strictly. It must be delicious.” An alternative main course was offered and taken up by, at least, Bannon; garfish.

Fiery debate raged over Mike Rann, Ellis claiming he was the best Premier the State has ever had, Bannon less fulsome with praise, but supportive of Rann, while others, Andrew Bishop in particular, demanded evidence to support the assertion.

Leo.

When Primo visited us upstairs there was always a pattern. We would banter for a while, discuss the weather, Primo would announce with great sadness another modest price rise, we would all complain bitterly and it would be over.

Little did we know what lay ahead in three months' time.

Clockwise from bottom left: Wayne Anthoney, Pottsie, McGoon, Ghil'ad, Ian Hamilton, Bob Ellis, Wilf, JB, Pegge, Andy B.

Ellis is often mesmerising. Here he attempts to mesmerise himself.

Pegge the Miserable.

Near the end of the day. Primo considerably more relaxed introduces chef.

Was ever a waitress more lusted after by Ellis?

APRIL

NOTES FROM LEO

Thursday, April 19, 2012. 
Diners: John Bannon, Wayne Anthoney, John McGowan, Bob Ellis, Bob Lott, Malcolm Elliott, Edmund Pegge, Leo Davis.   Apologies: John Potter (ill), Robert “Red” Hodge, Wilfred Prest, Paul Kolarovich (visiting a person in a rest home).

Bob Ellis was at table because he (along with Wayne, Pegge, John Potter, John McGowan, Paul Kolarovich and me) was in the middle of rehearsals, at Holden Street Theatre, of his “Shakespeare in Italy” play.  Paul could not attend lunch because he had to visit an elderly lady (Aunt?) in her rest home.  Potter pulled out at the last minute because he’d felt ill at rehearsal in the morning.

Ellis launched into a confident declaration that one could not ever trust a woman with red hair, with several supporting anecdotes.  Someone reminded Ellis that the two women in his reading, today, are red heads. Ellis reported, with absolute certainty, on an event pertinent to the paternity of Prince Harry, involving a couple caught in flagrante.  It shows how little I keep contact with popular culture & gossip that I had no inkling of such a possibility.  I must renew my subscription to New Idea.  Later I checked the www and found the paternity issue openly discussed and was struck by images that showed how similar Harry appeared to be to Hewett.  Bannon raised the matter of the variety of identifiable characteristics of ear shapes that occur and that these seem good indicators of such matters as paternity.  For the rest of the luncheon “check his ears” was a common interjection.

With smiling pride Bannon then asked “Who can say they have danced with Lady Dianna?”  This he had done, in the University of Adelaide Refectory, at an official event, in the 1980s, there being a rule that nobody over 40 was to be invited.  It was fortunate, John said, that the Leader of the Opposition was indeed less than 40.  John said that Angela had had a heart to heart with Diana who had shown signs of deep sadness.

Main course (recorded because an interest in the history of Hogarth catering had been expressed recently): Chicken fillet wrapped in prosciutto then cut into medallions.  These sat on a bed of rice that had pine nuts, corn and peas in it.  There were essentially no vegetables, apart from the three little bowls on the Antipasto plates. The normal side dishes of vegetables did not appear this month. Cost cutting setting in?
 

Clockwise from left - McGoon, Malcolm E, Ellis, John B, Pegge

Ellis, Bannon, Waitress Briony, Pegge, waitress, Bob Lott

Ellis, Bannon's head, Pegge, Bob, Wayne, waitress, McGoon, Elliott

We note the beautiful autumn tones of the vines outside

McGoon, Elliott, Bannon

MAY

INOTES FROM LEO

Thursday, May 17, 2012.

Monthly Hogarth Club Luncheon; The Chesser Cellar.
(Our last time actually in the Hogarth Room).  Diners: Wayne Anthoney, Wilfred Prest, John McGowan, Tony Brooks, Michael Jacobs, Leo Davis. Apologies: John Bannon (Interstate), Robert “Red” Hodge, Bob Lott (Witchelina on Nature Foundation business), Tony Parkinson (???).

John McGowan told us he is to deliver a talk in Stuttgart on the treatment of Aborigines in Australian films.  His wife found him the gig because she reads advertisements for Conferences and is involved in them herself.  That led to lots of discussion about films John has seen recently and suggestions from others about prints he might make and films he might consider.  I mentioned that I’d heard on AWAYE! (Radio National Aboriginal Art program) of an Aboriginal actress who was defending her being made up to appear darker (or lighter?) for a recent film. But, as usual, memory failed me.

Wayne told us about Trove and looking up his name and finding a news report that he’d saved a boy from drowning, when he was at school in Hobart. He confessed to having “looked some of you up”.  He won’t find anything about me.

That led to Wayne telling that he’d directed a Festival (Playwrights?) in Adelaide, in 1962, but had been unable to attend the 1963 edition in Sydney, because of employment. Bill Kay brought him back a program, which he, Wayne, now treasures.  It listed the contributing writers, the Adelaide list including Wayne. The eastern states lists included many names I recognised, but now forget, as well as Bob Ellis, Clive James and Germaine Greer.  That prompted Wilf to tell of having spent a night with Germaine, travelling by train, from Rome to London.  She was complaining about a boyfriend from whom she’d just split, a professional soccer player.  Lots of chortling from the lads but Wilf assured us that nothing was possible because she was 2 years older than he was. Wilf had just finished his Ph. D. and Germaine her M.A., I think.

Bill Guammage's name came up and I said I had reservations about him and a chap who’d worked with him, leaned across, almost conspiratorially and said “And me too”.  He went on to say that he was a brilliant lecturer but that his content was often fluffy. I mentioned I’d heard him on Counterpoint (Radio National libertarian program) and he expressed surprise. 

Trams came up when Tony told of a group that used to meet at Chesser Cellar after closing time on a Friday. The entry password, or some such, was a piece of useless trivia.  One chap came up with the number of the such and such tram (in Melbourne I think) that was, say, 46.  That led me to tell the story about my Aunt coming down from Pt. Augusta, in 1939 to work at the GPO.  I’m not too sure how much later she was standing in Victoria Square, blacked out because of the War, and being startled when a man appeared from the gloom asking “Where do I catch the tram to Paradise?” It’s long gone but that line did exist.  A lad was quick to tell us the number of the tram and remind us, because I remembered he’d told us before (perhaps I’d told my Aunt’s story before?), “hence the description of a beautiful pair of legs as ‘all the way up Payneham Road; all the way to Paradise’”.

Somehow the French not having words for numbers above 60 arose giving same lad the chance to repeat one of his jokes;  “You know what soixante neuf means. What about soixante huit? A head job with ‘You owe me one’.

I mentioned to Tony Brooks that I’d noticed Philip White’s favourable mention of his Cabernet Sauvignon and he said with smiling good cheer “Dear boy” (meaning Philip) and he went on at length to praise Philip.  “Even when he’s wrong, and that’s half the time, he’s entertaining”.

I was surprised to find that John McGowan and Tony Brooks were school mates.

McGowan told of Bob Francis coming into 5DN (I think) exhausted after a night as the DJ at The Princeton Club and saying “Wake me 2 minutes before the hour” and putting his head on the desk and going to sleep immediately  At 2 minutes to the hour McGowan would nudge Bob, hand him the news script he’d written and Francis would read it with authority and no understanding of its significance or where it had come from.

The chef came up at the end of the meal, clearly sent by Primo, and spoke of the new menu, etc.

Tucker: Keeping in mind recent interest in what we ate I photographed the main course; Swordfish lying across two sprigs of broccolini, with three colours of baby carrot (purple, orange and yellow) with green tops left on.  Side bowls of whole potatoes were served.  Pudding was essentially a slice of cake.

McGoon, Wayne, Brooks, Wilf

McGoon, Brooks, Cobbs, Wayne, Wilf

Cobbs, Wilf, Wayne, McGoon

Brooks, Cobbs, Wilf

Wilf impassioned, Wayne, McGoon

Something got the chef going. Dessert looks impressive

JUNE

NOTES FROM LEO

Thursday, June 21, 2012.

We had no inkling that this was to be our last ever gathering at Chesser Cellar.  It was ironic, I guess, that, on this occasion, we were displaced from the Hogarth Room itself, by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.  Bannon made much of this and embarrassed some of the Hogarth crew by very loudly, and repeatedly, directing complaints up the staircase, about “Papist usurpers”, in a fine Rev. Ian Paisley accent. ^­

Ghil’ad became aware of one of Wayne’s many talents, that of being a skilled magician, and arranged that he perform at a coming birthday party for his sons. 

Tony Parkinson spent quite some time trying to sell the idea that individual members of the group, or simply the group itself, should become sponsors of a Writers’ Festival at Lombok.  He led us through a pamphlet. There were no obvious signs of takers.

Our last Hogarth meal was very simple and delicious; a single meat pie (really!) sitting on mushy peas, with mash and then a slice of pie (pecan?) with cream. None of us read the signs of imminent bankruptcy. 

WAYNE ALSO WROTE:

Little did we know it but this, after 39 years, was to be our last luncheon at the Chesser Cellars. Our beloved home went into receivership and the goods and chattels were auctioned off soon afterward. Our hearts went out to Primo Caon, our host for many of those latter years.

Last gathering of the club at Chesser Cellars and due to a convocation of Catholics having booked our

room we had to convene in the cellar.

Clockwise from left - Cobbs (back to camera), Tony Parkinson's head, John Bannon, Pottsie, waiter,

Malcolm Elliot, Ian Hamilton, Ghil'ad Zuckermann ((hidden), Wayne Anthoney

It had to have been hillarious.....

JULY

After just shy of forty years in residence at the Chesser Cellars our venerable Hogarth Club is homeless. We are a band of itinerant diners in search of a sandwich. Desperate for a home we tried a pub in Wright Street, the Prince Albert. A barren private room, pub food of reasonable standard.

No.

Those present: Bob Lott, Brooks, Wilf Prest, Leo Davis, Paul Kolarovich, Red Hodge, Malcolm Elliott, John Potter, Wayne Anthoney, Ghil'ad Zuckermann, Mike Jacobs

Ghil'ad, Malcolm, Paul, Cobbs, Red, Wayne, Bob (hidden) Brooks, Pottsie, Wilf. The dour expressions on many of the Gents' faces reflect the general unsatisfactory nature of this venue for our needs.

Ditto

Nothing more to say. We'll keep looking.

AUGUST

Leo Davis writes:

Thursday, August 16, 2012. 

Monthly Hogarth Club Luncheon; Jolley’s Boathouse, Banks of Torrens.
Diners: John Potter, Robert “Red” Hodge, Malcolm Elliott, Andrew Bishop, Wayne Anthoney, Ed Pegge, Bob Lott, Andrew Ligertwood, Mark Coleman, Bob Ellis, Bruce Venables,  Leo Davis.   Apologies: Wilfred Prest, John Bannon, Ian Hamilton, John McGowan, Tony Parkinson, Michael Jacobs, Tony Brooks, Paul Kolarovich.

.Bob Ellis and Bruce Venables, Sydneysiders, were in town for the production of Ellis’ “Shakespeare in Italy”, at Bob Lott’s Holden Street Theatre.  Bruce, when asked, by Bob, to tell ONE story and to sing ONE song, began with a couple of very long yarns, up to 5 minutes long.  Then the requested story.  Then a song about anal prostate examination, then more songs and stories.  Very, very, entertaining but he's hard to stop once he has the floor.  He produced a CD (or a number?) of his Country Music Band

Andy Ligertwood told of having dined with George Duncan the night before police drowned him in the Torrens.  Duncan excused himself early from a dinner party (Law Faculty?), on the excuse that he was meeting somebody.  Next morning Andy read of the death.

(From Wikipedia: Aug 19, 2012; As homosexuality was still illegal in South Australia at that time, the banks of the Torrens River, or "Number 1 beat" as it was then known, was a popular place for homosexuals to meet. Around 11.00 p.m. on 10 May 1972, Duncan and Roger James were both thrown into the river and Duncan, a frail man with one lung, drowned. James suffered a broken ankle and after crawling to the road, was rescued by a passing driver, Bevan Spencer von Einem, who then took him to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. By the time a television crew arrived, Duncan's body had already been pulled from the river by police. The body was returned to the river to allow the crew to film its recovery.

Wayne writes: Note the remarkable contrast between the expressions of the Gents in these photos and those in last month's collection.

Lidgo, Pottsie

Bob, Red and bottles of red

Pegge, Mark, Malcolm, Bruce Venables, Bob Ellis, Bob Lott, Red

Ellis in action

Venables warming up

Venables in action

Red, Wayne quizzical, Andy

SEPTEMBER

Thursday, September 20,  2012. 

Monthly Hogarth Club Luncheon; Jolley’s Boathouse, Banks of Torrens.
Diners: John Potter, John Bannon, Tony Brooks, Wayne Anthoney, Tony Parkinson, Bob Lott, Andrew Ligertwood, Mark Coleman, Ian Bidmeade, Michael Johnston, Leo Davis.   Apologies: Wilfred Prest, Robert “Red” Hodge, Andrew Bishop, Ed Pegge (UK), Ian Hamilton, John McGowan, Michael Jacobs, Paul Kolarovich.

John Bannon read us very bawdy diary notes, or reminiscences, from an 18^th century, I think, text; so very entertaining and the high point of the afternoon.  

John told of two uncles who had spent 3 or 4 years as POWs.  Had they been on Crete?

Tony Parkinson, in his usual artful way, told a string of very funny sexually and/or politically incorrect jokes. One involved, at its end, a chap speaking favourably of NZ only to be told “They’re all rugby players or whores.”   “Hang on! My wife’s a Kiwi.”  “Which team did she play for?” etc.  And then there was an Irishman who, given two wishes, asked for and was given an ever pouring bottle.  Second wish?  Another of the same. 
I was surprised to learn that Tony had been to Teachers’ College.  I’d forgotten that only the most boring ones of us, in those days, actually went on to teach or continued doing so.  Just from Elizabeth High School, round 1970, Chris Westwood, Robyn Smith (later Archer), Deb Cook (reverting to McCullock), Liz Truman (later Federal ALP MP) and Adrian Hann, quickly moved on to more interesting things. Did John Klunder, my peer at Teachers’ College, teach with me at Elizabeth or Gilles Plains High Schools? Many others, mainly men, went on to C.A.E. and University lectureships. Even John Bannon taught for a short time.  

Tony spoke of mixing, in College days, with police who clearly were corrupt.  His comments about police led Tony Brooks to say how much he admired the British Police for not carrying guns, even after the slaying of two of their number. Bannon did not feel comfortable when the introduction of guns for SA Police was approved by a Labor Government.

Wayne told us of Pegge’s experience, after the final show of “Shakespeare in Italy”.  He’d driven toward the City, a route he’d not previously taken and then realised his mistake, so did a U-turn, without seeing the breath test unit ahead and then had no idea that the sirens were related to him. He was stopped and put in hand cuffs, and driven to the Watch House, etc.  He registered something like 0.06 on the breathalyser, per favour, I guess, Bob Lott’s generosity with the Holden St Theatre bar.  Wayne suggested that it will cost Pegge more than the pittance he was paid for the play. 

Ian Bidmeade’s wife, Gail, works with Michael Johnson’s wife; teaching ESL I think.  Ian enjoyed discussing and making connections, with John Potter, related to Germanic migration to the Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills, as well as similarities between the backgrounds of Methodist and Lutheran religions in SA.  Most chaps seemed to have a good knowledge of all this but it was all fresh to me with my more or less Godless upbringing.

Bob, Wayne, Bannon

Bob, Wayne. Probably plotting the next Be Your Age revue

Parky, pensive

Bannon starts reciting filth, as described above

Bannon warming up. Waiter clearly shocked

Clockwise from left: Bannon, Pottsie, Mark, Mike J, Ian Bidmeade

OCTOBER

Leo writes:

Thursday, October 18, 2012. 

Hogarth Club Luncheon; Downstairs, Jolly’s Boathouse, Banks of Torrens.
Diners: Michael Jacobs, John Potter, Tony Brooks, Wilfred Prest, Leo Davis, Bob Lott, Andrew Ligetwood, Mark Coleman, Ian Bidmeade, Malcolm Elliott.   Apologies: John Bannon, Wayne Anthoney, Robert “Red” Hodge, Tony Parkinson, Ian Hamilton, John McGowan, Paul Kolarovich.

This was a less than perfect gathering, if only because we were forced downstairs, to dine in the general public dining area, with its less than club like ambiance.  Two old collegians, time travelling to the Adelaide Oval, at the Intercol’ Sports, in the 1950s, loudly singing school songs, might have been fun upstairs, but verged on the embarrassing in the public area.

Because we were downstairs the set price coffee (from a common pot) was not available, so we had to pay extra for coffee, lifting the agreed price above $60, this causing some unease.

Two members arrived, and left, one must assume, by bicycle; Wilfred and Andy.

Cobbs makes a point

Brooks thinks while Pottsie and Wilf discuss the point

Brooks praises Black Point

Gentlemen explain to person on right that it is rude to point

Write your own caption here

NOVEMBER

Thursday, November 15,  2012. 

Monthly Hogarth Club Luncheon; Upstairs, Jolly’s Boathouse, Banks of Torrens.  

Diners: Wayne Anthoney, John Bannon, John Potter, Robert “Red” Hodge, Tony Brooks, John McGowan, Paul Kolarovich, Ian Hamilton, Bill Kay, Leo Davis, Mark Coleman, Andrew Bishop, Malcolm Elliott.   Apologies: Wilfred Prest, Tony Parkinson, Bob Lott, Mike Norman.

(Notes savagely trimmed to protect the guilty).

Bill Kay spoke of a Diary written by Brian Bergin, the gay Footlights writer, who worked in Advertising. Bergin drank heavily.  “I’ve only drunk one bottle of whisky today” was a diary entry.  Brooks told how Bergin would turn up at a party at 7, collapse and fall asleep for some hours. Then he’d wake and be the life of the party at 11; collapse, sleep; be bundled into a taxi at 2 and arrive at another party where he’d be the life….  The diary had been a secret personal one but Bergin gave it to Bill some years later.   Bill has passed it on to Brooks who has passed it on to Lott, etc.

There was much “lucky bastard” chortling when Bill Kay spoke of “when I was going out with censored”.   

Sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, at SPSC, at PAC, was discussed.

Peter Liddy, convicted paedophile, currently in gaol, was discussed.  I knew little of the case and I had to do a google to find that “As a coach of the Little Nippers between 1983 and 1986 Liddy gained the trust of young boys and their parents and used that trust to spend time with the eight to ten year old boys - in his suburban court houses, at the surf club, and on camping trips - where he abused them.” Paul Kolarovich remembered appearing in front of him, in court, (seems he was the longest serving magistrate) where he had a reputation as a “hanging judge”, so severe were his rulings, and then being surprised to see him running around on the beach with a Surf Life Saving Club with his, Paul’s, children, and conducting resuscitation classes.  

Brooks could read the weather forecast for the ocean in the doldrums and have you laughing so all his anecdotes are worth the listening. He claimed he first became aware of the concept of a paedophile when living at Xavier College.  The very bad (cooking wise that is) woman cook was replaced by a man who immediately produced restaurant quality meals, with choices.  One day, mid meal, with items cooking on the stoves, police arrived and took the chef away. But Brooks told it so differently….

Stories were told about a drunken Bob Hawke, at one or more Adelaide hotels, first as ACTU leader, then as an MP planning to displace Hayden, and cannot be repeated here.  

Ex SPSC boy sprinter and now lawyer, David Stokes, who has become Heather Stokes was discussed, with some interest.

John Bannon spoke of having recently read a biography of Beovich.  I had no idea who he was talking about but Tony Brooks nodded knowing that Beovich was the Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide.  John explained, quite concisely, how different he was to the mainstream Irish Catholics because, unlike them, he’d trained in Rome.  He explained Beovich’s different position on “the split”, the DLP, etc., while recognising that he was bound, even trapped, by his belief in the discipline of the Catholic Church.

Many stories were told about Gordon Bilney, a minister in Hawke and Keating governments, who died on October 28, aged 73  He was a dentist and Bannon thought he’d rather not have him work on his teeth.  Before entering parliament he was an Australian High Commissioner to the West Indies. Years later a dark son turned up.  It was noted that the son was not mentioned at the funeral. Wayne told of Gordon, at a party, feeling hot, so taking off his shirt, then his singlet, putting his shirt back on than putting his singlet back on, over his shirt. 

Paul Kolarovich has recently returned from travel in Europe and passed on two photos taken of a statue of Hogarth.

DECEMBER

Leo's notes.

Thursday, December 13,  2012.

Xmas Hogarth Club Luncheon; Metropolitan Hotel, Grote Street.
Diners: Wayne Anthoney, John Bannon, John Potter, Tony Brooks, John McGowan, Paul Kolarovich, Wilfred Prest, Andrew Bishop, Ed Pegge, Leo Davis, Mike Norman, Malcolm Elliott, Mark Coleman, Andy Ligertwood, Bill Kay, Bob Lott, Samela Harris.  Apologies: Robert “Red” Hodge, Tony Parkinson.

This was our first Xmas outside the Hogarth Room and we were unable to gather at Jolly’s Boathouse because it had been booked in advance.  The Hotel venue did not match up.  We sat at two tables and the old sense of intimacy was reduced. The temperature reached 37^oC and some electric fans were our means of relief.  And for half the afternoon we had to share the room with a noisy group of regular diners. How dare they enjoy themselves.

Pegge gave us a very funny reading of Ronnie Barker’s Cinderella Spoonerisms sketch; for about the 10^th time.

Tony Brooks, by demand, re told The White Gorilla joke, in memory of Tony Short.  Typically he made it fresh, adding new twists and material, linking it to the Adelaide Zoo and Pandas and had one who’d heard the joke dozens of times say “Oh, the ending surprised me”; it was, of course, the same wonderful ending.

Potter read us “A Child's Christmas in Warrnambool” by Dylan Thompson. (Really John Clarke, from “The Complete Book of Australian Verse”).

Samela Harris was the first “bumpy chap” to attend since Wayne brought British journalist Helen Womach, a specialist on Russia, in June 2009.  Samela was a regular in the early days of the gathering, over 30 years ago, well before my time, which began only in June 2001.

John Bannon retold the Irish Goal Keeper joke beautifully, with full action movements, in memory of Tony Short.   Everyone was delighted, even those who’d heard the joke so many times.

Roy Knuckey’s name came up and Tony Brooks entertained us with part of his story.  Many of us remembered looking for and reading Roy’s short classified advertisements that appeared weekly; was it in Saturday’s Advertiser or the Sunday Mail?

Roy was a Salvation Army Officer based in Pt. Pirie.  He used to send local sports news to Adelaide (for Newspaper or Radio?).  He used part or all of the income from this to place a weekly inspirational message in the paper.  News to me, per favour Brooks, was that a chap at the Adelaide paper wrote the copy.  He told Roy that he needed a catch entry word each week.  Roy would write ideas on a sheet of paper (probably foolscap in those days) and post it to Adelaide where the wordsmith would shape it into a pithy sentence with catch word beginning.  Unknown to Roy, the wordsmith went on holidays and passed the job on to a young chap who was well out of his depth.  He returned from holidays, quality returned, and a letter arrived from Roy, who’d worked out what had happened, along the lines “It is great to see that so and so is back from holidays”. 

I searched for Roy Knuckey on the www and found little except to see that he was active years before I was aware of him.  It is clear why he needed an editor.

Roy Knuckey, Port Pirie. — The case on which you base your letter is sub judice. Therefore, we cannot publish comment.  
The Mail, Adelaide, Saturday, October 5, 1940.

From Roy Knuckey. Solomon town.—After 43 years I say the Church Is necessary. I take it Professor Murdoch Includes the Salvation Army. It is a big thing to say that it is not necessary. I found it on my knees as a boy of six and have since had a happy life. We want our "Church" and no one will take it from us. This is sunny Australia and we serve God under the Union Jack. If it were not for dear old England God would be hard to serve in public. I love the Church building and the Salvation Army Hall. They are necessary.  
The Advertiser, Adelaide, Wednesday, April 9, 1947.

From Roy Knuckey, Port Pirie.— I wholeheartedly am with Mr. S. T. Mealor. (16/10/47) in saying that the great South Australian cricketer Arthur Richardson should 'have a benefit match’ If this match comes off I shall be delighted to forward to Mr. Mealor ₤5 towards it. I hope the SACA will agree and have the match on the Adelaide Oval and that a description of the play will be broadcast for the benefit of those in the country who cannot get down for the match.  
The Advertiser, Adelaide, Monday, October 20, 1947.

A rare glimpse of Sa Harris herself at an Hogarth luncheon

It is safe to say that this photo was taken very late in the afternoon.