Category: My Diary

At the hardware store, Mitre 10, on the corner of the Kingsway and Mackay Street in Caringbah we selected four litres of Berger ‘Ceiling White’, four litres of Dulux ‘Tusk Ivory’, a paint brush, a paint roller and an accompanying paint tray, only to get to the checkout and be told, to our astonishment, that our cheque for $42.50 would not be accepted. As we had spent a considerable time in choosing the goods, I tried to reason with the foreign owner but he said that he had had much trouble with cheques bouncing and, therefore, remained steadfast in his stance. We walked out in disgust, leaving the goods that we had intended to buy where they were.

We entered the smaller Green’s Hardware on the next block, where we were received much more warmly. In addition to the goods selected previously, we purchased a block to facilitate the usage of sandpaper, as well as a tin of sealer, which the chap at Mitre 10 had not suggested. I wrote out a cheque for $47.34 and we headed for home where I set about painting the ceilings of the main bedroom, kitchen, sunroom and laundry. Tiki, meanwhile, used the new brush to paint the cornices. We felt exhausted by the time we had finished, at three o’clock, and I felt no guilt in sitting down to listen to the encounter between Manly-Warringah and South Sydney that was broadcast from Redfern Oval.

The ‘Sea Eagles’ held a lead of ten points to three at half-time before extending this to 15-3. However, South Sydney fought back strongly and Manly only managed to scrape home by seventeen to fourteen after both sides had each scored three tries. Following “It’s Academic”, on Channel Seven at half past five, I viewed the edited replay of the game on Channel Two’s “Top Saturday League”.

The second international, which is a part of the series to determine the holder of the Prudential Trophy, is being screened live from Edgbaston, in Birmingham. England is batting first. Greg Chappell was on a hat-trick, having captured the wickets of Brearley, when the captain was on ten, and Randall, for a duck. At lunch, England is 7-90, with Dennis Amiss (35) and Graham Barlow (25) having scored the bulk of these runs. Greg Chappell has the short figures of 4-12 and Gary Cosier those of 3-8.

 

England fought back to amass one hundred and seventy-one runs. Australia, however, could not manage a similar recovery and was dismissed for just seventy. Its win means that England has already clinched this series of three matches as it has now won the first two.

I soon realised that the litre of Berger ‘Dusseal’ was not going to be enough. Despite this, I decided to make it do, anyway, by applying it sparingly. To add to my frustration, I found that the white liquid did not wash out in water and had to leave the brush, tray and roller unwashed.

“Namu, The Killer Whale”, a film that bears the copyright of 1966, is shown from 4.00 p.m. Robert “87th Precinct”/”Twelve O’Clock High” Lansing’s character befriends the creature.

The English side, Middlesborough, humiliates Australia’s national team at soccer, thrashing it by five goals to nil. Balmain and Eastern Suburbs drew eight all, this afternoon. I watched the edited replay of the match on “Seven’s Big League” programme from half past six. An hour later I turned the dial to Channel Nine to watch the edited replay of the rugby league international which had been played in the mud at Carlaw Park, in Auckland. Great Britain easily defeated France by twenty-three points to four, having led by sixteen to four at half-time.

“A Howling In The Woods”, a film from 1971, screens from half past eight. It brings together the pairing from “I Dream Of Jeannie”, namely Barbara “How To Marry A Millionaire” Eden and Larry Hagman. It also stars Vera Miles.

I walked through a sun shower on the way to work and it began to rain, again, just after 11.00 a.m. Channel Two screened the highlights from the final of the European Cup, played between Liverpool and the German team, Borussia Moenchengladback, from six o’clock. The score was locked at one goal all when we turned to watch the news on Channel Seven from half past the hour. Liverpool went on to win by three goals to one.

The third match of the Prudential Trophy is being telecast live on Channel Two from a quarter to eight. England is attempting to complete a clean sweep of the series in heavy overcast conditions at The Oval. Captain, Mike Brearley — in his protective headgear — and Dennis Amiss have started briskly and are particularly severe on the bowling of Jeff Thomson. At the completion of the ninth over England is 0-41.

Episode 20 of “Rich Man, Poor Man: Book 2”, is shown on Channel Seven from half past eight. Wes, played by Gregg Henry, is severely beaten, in a fight, by Falconetti, portrayed by William Smith. England, at lunch, is 0-136 with both Amiss and Brearley each having scored sixty-six. Thirty-four overs have been bowled.

Australia scored an outstanding win in the third and final one-day game of the series, in spite of knowing that England had already secured the Prudential Trophy. It was pleasing to hear that the tourists had battled so hard in such trying conditions to obtain the victory. England had been dismissed for 242, which were scored from 52.4 overs. Dennis Amiss and Mike Brearley had set the foundation for this by scoring 108 and 70 respectively.

Australia replied by amassing 8-246 from 53.2 overs. Despite the fact that five of the last six had been bowled in torrential rain. Ritchie Robinson scored 70 and earned the award for ‘Man of the Match’, in spite of his captain, Greg Chappell, having remained unbeaten on 125. It is his fourth century of the current tour.

The morning broke nice and sunny although by midday it had threatened to rain, yet did not. The New Zealand galloper, “Oranmore”, won the Pacesetters’ Handicap at Gosford this afternoon. This evening’s edition of “Willesee” includes a report by Paul Makin about how animals can be sponsored at Sydney’s Taronga Park Zoo. It costs five thousand dollars per annum to sponsor a koala.

Following “Good Times” we briefly switched to the live coverage of the service from St. Paul’s Cathedral, which forms a part of the celebrations for the Silver Royal Jubilee. We noted that Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, looked resplendent in pink before we turned to Channel Nine for the latter half of “Charlie’s Angels”. “The Vampire Lovers”, a film from 1970, which stars Peter Cushing, Ingrid Pitt and Dawn Addams, screens from half past eight.

 

“Denise’s Joy”, a mare of four years, won the Gosford Cup this afternoon. Trained by the legendary T.J. (Tommy) Smith, she is already the winner of the V.R.C. Oaks, the Australian Derby and the Queensland Oaks, all at the level of Group One.

After “Flashez”, the highlights of Australia defeating England in the pouring rain were shown. “Circus Of The Stars”, hosted by John “Bachelor Father” Forsythe, follows “Willesee”. The French actress, Anny Duperey, clad in a bikini, performs on the trapeze without a net beneath her.

Teachers at a number of inner-city schools are on strike today. This evening’s television includes the Australian musical series, “Flashez”, which is presented on Channel Two from half past five by singer, Ray Burgess. It is followed by ‘Bears’ on “Last Of The Wild”, which includes a segment on both the Kodiak and the polar. Following “Willesee” on Channel Seven is another edition of “The Naked Vicar Show”, with Noeline “The Mavis Bramston Show” Brown and Ross Higgins to the fore. We retired after “Policewoman” had finished at half past nine.

It has been a day of gale force winds and driving rain. “Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory” and “To Kill A Mockingbird” are two of the films screening on television tonight. The former is from 1971 and is based upon the book, “Charlie And The Chocolate Factory”, by the Welsh children’s author, Roald Dahl, who also wrote the screenplay. It stars Gene Wilder and Jack Albertson. The latter, which bears the copyright of 1962, is adapted from the book by the authoress, Harper Lee and stars Gregory Peck and Robert Duvall. It remains the only book that Harper Lee has had published.

The rain has now eased.

After breakfast I painted the cornice in the kitchen for a second time. When Tiki saw what I was doing she became upset because I had decided to paint over what she had done the other day. I proceeded to undercoat the walls of the kitchen with white Pascol. However, the roller had become quite rough, therefore, I resorted to smoothing the paint over with the brush.

Two men from Col Buchan Discounts delivered our Iberian oak ‘Cadiz’ bedroom suite and I wrote out a cheque for eight hundred and fifteen dollars to cover the amount that was owed on it. By two o’clock I had finished applying the undercoat in the kitchen. “Sir Wisp”, a galloper from Queensland, won this afternoon’s running of the Stradbroke Handicap, in Brisbane, from “Tiger Town” and “Maybe Mahal”. The winner started at triple-figure odds.

As I drove to Manly Vale, I listened to Frank Hyde’s description of the rather dull rugby league international, that was being played at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Australia led France by thirteen points to nil at half-time and nineteen to seven with a few minutes remaining.

Having dined at K’s Snapper Inn, we were looking at the lights from Edgecliffe Esplanade in Seaforth when we noticed a fire raging by the Spit Bridge below. As we drove past the flames, we noted that they were actually emanating from a bonfire, which had presumably been built and lit as a celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday, in this the year of her Silver Jubilee. While Her Majesty’s actual birthday falls due in April, it is celebrated here in June, in order to disperse the taking of public holidays.

This afternoon I listened to 2UE and former referee, Col Pearce’s description of the rugby league match between the Manly-Warringah ‘Sea Eagles’ and the Western Suburbs ‘Magpies’. It was played at the former’s home ground of Brookvale Oval and the score was locked at two all at half-time. Western Suburbs lost its half-back, Tommy Raudonikis, to injury in the second half before Manly-Warringah emerged victorious by fifteen points to four.

I washed the brush and roller under the tap in the backyard by five o’clock prior to embarking upon a walk that, by my calculations, brought up one hundred and sixty-six miles in my effort to reduce my blood’s potentially lethal level of cholesterol.

“Seven’s Big League”, between 6.30 and half past seven, features a full replay of this afternoon’s clash from Brookvale. Channel Nine then screened an edited account of this afternoon’s match in the Rugby League World Cup, which was played in Christchurch. Great Britain led by ten points to seven at half-time before it asserted its dominance in the second half to convincingly defeat New Zealand by thirty points to twelve. We stayed on Channel Nine to view the British motion picture comedy, “Dad’s Army”, which is set during the Second World War. Produced in 1972, the film is an adjunct to the popular television series of the same name, and focuses upon the antics of the part-time volunteers within Britain’s Home Guard which is supposedly the last line of defence against the Germans, should they set foot on home soil.

Because today is a public holiday, I finished applying the undercoat to the walls of the sunroom prior to commencing to do likewise in the laundry. It took me from nine o’clock until a quarter past ten to complete the former and a further three hours to do the latter. Afterwards I shaved and showered for the first time in two days.

“Reckless” — already the winner of this year’s Sydney and Adelaide cups — added the Brisbane Cup to his collection this afternoon. “Ngawyni” finished second and the Enzedder, “My Good Man”, third. Today’s victory is historic because the six-year-old becomes the first galloper to win all three cups in the one year. The horse is trained by veteran Tommy Woodcock, who was the strapper to the ill-fated champion, “Phar Lap”.

I watched the second half of “Mannix” between half past three and four o’clock, thence “The Flintstones”, “Bewitched”, “Willesee”, followed by the British series, “The Dick Emery Show” and “Love Thy Neighbour”. The final episode of “Rich Man Poor Man: Book 2” screens from half past eight and concludes with a fatal shoot-out.