Meeting 22 February 2005
Nine of us gathered for the luncheon on February 22, which is heartening because too many of us are still somnolent after the summer break. The convenor, even more than usual, was particularly scatter-brained. He seemed capable of little more than the ordering of wines. He was supposed to have brought up two important matters concerning the School’s Development Fund and donation of books to the Library. Hopefully, these oversights may be suitably addressed within the next two months.
Last October, Jan Webber gave us a shield containing the School’s Coat of Arms. The Royal Automobile Club’s Secretary has displayed this in the Ground Floor bar area. There it accompanies some five or six dozen World War II Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force badges. The Coat of Arms is indeed suitable company for such distinguished units. It has links to both the services and Australia because arguably our most distinguished Old Portmuthian, the Late Commander Holbrook VC, has a town in New South Wales named in his honour.
Eastern Australia still is not enjoying adequate rainfall, our gardens remain untended and cars unwashed (hurrah). We are all looking forward to the next Ashes series. There is talk that Rod Marsh has done his work training the England team so professionly that, for nearly twenty years, there may be a real contest this year. Nearly all of us are Australian supporters, which is not difficult because we win most of the time. I sometimes think that the reason why Australia punches above its weight in sport is due to our number of small towns having between three and ten thousand inhabitants. In these towns, there is a custom that no boy or girl needs to be unoccupied any night during the week. There are coaching and practice sessions for cricket, rugby, tennis, swimming, netball and a host of other sports.Such is the environment that produces the like of Glen McGrath.
The next 4 meetings are on Tuesday May 24, August 16, Friday October 21, 2005 and Tuesday February 21, 2006. This move from the normal Tuesday to the neighbouring Friday is so that we can properly celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. We hope that the menu on that day will be written in French. Hopefully, we will drink Nelson’s health with a glass of Napoleon Cognac at the end of the meal. If anyone has a ouija board that he can bring along, we might be able to summon up the shade of Mr Parker. He could then sing his favourite sea shanty of Napoleonic times, Boney was a Warrior. Those of you with flexible travel plans please make a note; we love to see you. Gap year students, backpackers and others who may be short of a bob in Australia should not be deterred by the thought of an unsought expense; I am sure we can work something out.
Enclosure: Luncheon table members assembled in the Albert Room of the Royal Automobile Club, Sydney. Note the School’s Coat of Arms in the centre.
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