Category: My Diary

We awoke at 5.00 a.m., to the alarm, for the second time in the past three days. The airliner, with Tiki’s parents on board, landed at 6.00 a.m., but we did not arrive at the airport until twenty past the hour. Singer, Renee Geyer, who had already passed through customs, wandered around aimlessly for quite some time as no one had arrived to meet her. At least, not while we were there. The last I saw of her, she was using a public telephone.

I pulled up some of the mass of Wandering Jew that is growing at the rear of our backyard. Amongst that which I managed to remove, was a golf ball that had definitely seen better days, a number of plastic golf balls and a container that had once housed ice-cream, but which, at the time of its discovery, contained cooked prawns. These, as one could imagine, were really on the nose!

Regardless, the oddest discovery was still to come. That of two pig’s trotters in a brown paper bag. Upon my opening of the bag, I had received quite a start because, for just an instant, I believed that the contents were human!

Miss Trinidad and Tobago, Janelle Commissiong, who is aged twenty-four, has become the first black entrant to be crowned Miss Universe. The event, which is in its twenty-sixth year, was held in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. Miss Austria, Eva Maria Duringer, and Miss Scotland, Sandra Bell, have been named as the first and second runners-up.

Eastern Suburbs defeated Manly-Warringah by twelve points to nil. The latter remains in fifth position on the competition’s ladder.

I arose at 3.40 a.m., having lain awake since a quarter to three. The number of glasses of scotch and dry I had quaffed before dinner had left me feeling unwell. The last fifty minutes of the film, “Loss Of Innocence”, was being shown on Channel Nine. Produced in 1961, it stars Kenneth Moore as the older man to whom Susannah York’s character, of just sixteen years, is attracted.

We drove to work in the gloriously sunny, yet cold conditions; just five degrees Celsius. This evening I learned that it was actually Sydney’s coldest morning in June since 1949 and of any month in the last three years.

Bookmaker, Lloyd Tidmarsh, was fatally shot this morning in his home in suburban Kogarah. Preliminary enquiries suggest that his killing was for no apparent monetary gain.

“Science Magazine”, at 1.30 p.m., on Channel Two, explains, among other things, how carbon dioxide, which forms the bubbles, is used in the making of soft drinks. This evening’s viewing follows the usual pattern: “Flashez” at half past five; ‘Wildebeest’ on “Last Of The Wild” (6.00) although we diverted from it for Channel Seven’s news at half past six and, after “Willesee”, we watched the second part in a double episode of “Good Times” in which a wake is held for James. The latter half of “Charlie’s Angels”, on Channel Nine, shows each of the three girls managing to deactivate a bomb aboard a ship. We returned to Channel Seven, at half past eight, to watch a repetition of the film, “The Executioner”. Produced in 1970, it features George “Banacek” Peppard, British actress, Joan Collins, and the Australian actor, Keith Michell. Another film, “The Game Is Over”, from the mid-1960s, featuring Jane Fonda, screens on television later tonight.

 

It has been a gloriously sunny winter’s morning. “Behind The News”, presented by Barry Eaton, screens on ABC-TV’s Channel Two from 10.00 a.m. It focuses upon the political unrest in the Seychelles, as well as the conservationists’ stance against whaling. It is followed, at twenty past ten, by a programme which traces the gold rush of last century. The viewing centres upon ‘Sovereign Hill’, the re-creation of a mining town near Ballarat, in Victoria.

I paid fifty cents for a copy of the “Women’s Weekly”, for Tiki, and glanced through it during the walk home. It contains an article on Bob Rogers which features pictures of his four daughters. Skye, who is twelve years of age, is the youngest.

Sydney enjoyed a maximum temperature of twenty degrees Celsius today, which is above the seasonal average. The series “Last Of The Wild” concentrates, this evening, on the preservation of Arctic polar bear and musk ox.

The natural birth of a baby, at home, is a part of the programme, “Willesee”, at seven o’clock, on Channel Seven. “This Day Tonight” follows, on Channel Two, and on this same channel, at 8.00, “Peach’s Australia” transports the viewer to the ‘Red Centre’ to visit such natural landmarks as Ayers Rock and The Olgas, both of which I visited, in 1972, during a bus tour that lasted for nine weeks. The programme’s photography is simply outstanding!

“The Fight Against Slavery” continues on Channel Two from half past eight. It is followed at twenty past nine by “The Yellow Trail From Texas”, a documentary about the huge annual harvest of wheat in the United States and Canada. In doing so it observes the lives of some of those who are contracted to strip the massive crop.

England was dismissed in its first innings of the First ‘Silver Jubilee’ Test for 216. Bob Woolmer was run out when on seventy-nine and Derek Randall scored fifty-three. Jeff Thomson, the Australian right-arm fast bowler with the round-arm action, finished with the figures of 4-41.

This evening’s edition of “Last Of The Wild” is ‘Undersea World’. “Test Cricket Highlights”, from eight o’clock and also on Channel Two, was supposed to be followed by live action from Lord’s, however, it is raining there and so we turned to Channel Seven to watch “The Courtship Of Eddie’s Father”, a film with the copyright of 1963, which stars Glenn Ford, Ronny “The Andy Griffith Show”/”Happy Days” Howard, Shirley “The Partridge Family” Jones, Stella Stevens and Dina Merrill.

Play in the Test commenced at a quarter to ten, with Richie Robinson and Rick McCosker opening the Australian innings at a brisk rate before Robinson was bowled by Peter Lever for eleven, when the total had reached twenty-five. Greg Chappell strode to the wicket and Australia is 1-36, with McCosker on 19, when lunch was called at 10.30 A.E.S.T.

Former Wallaby, Barry Stumbles, is pictured in today’s copy of “The Sun” newspaper during a run to maintain his fitness. He wants to play rugby union for St. George, having coached that team for two years, but the administration of that sport will not consider his application for a further two years because he played rugby league for three. Two of these three years involved playing for the St. George ‘Dragons’ and the remaining year was spent at Corrimal. Barry is a teacher at Hurstville High School.

A cappuccino cost fifty cents at The Fair Restaurant, upstairs in Miranda Fair. Storm clouds moved in and it began to rain heavily from 12.50 p.m.

This afternoon I listened to 2SM and Frank Hyde’s description of Rugby League World Cup international between Australia and Great Britain from Lang Park, Brisbane; where, in spite of it being winter, it was twenty-five degrees Celsius. Having trailed by four points to five at half-time, Australia asserted its superiority in the second half before winning the match by nineteen points to five. Full-back, Graham Eadie, who scored two tries, was named ‘Man Of The Match’.

Because of the state of the course proper, horseracing at Sandown, in Melbourne, was abandoned after the third race on the card had been run. Channel Nine’s coverage of this afternoon’s international from Lang Park begins at half past six and lasts for two hours. Channel Two’s coverage of the third day’s play in the First ‘Silver Jubilee’ Test from Lord’s begins from half past eight, with Australia to resume its first innings at 1-51 after yesterday’s play had been interrupted by rain.

The tall right-hander, Rick McCosker, is bowled by Chris Old without having added to his score of 23 (2-51). A dour struggle ensues and only forty-eight runs are scored before lunch is declared. Australia is 2-99 with Greg Chappell on forty-one and Craig Serjeant on seventeen.

Australia is 7-278 at stumps, which means it holds a lead of sixty-two runs over England in the First ‘Silver Jubilee’ Test. Western Australian Craig Serjeant, who is appearing in his first Test, scored 81; Greg Chappell, 66, and Doug Walters, 53.

It began to rain at ten past nine and conditions just deteriorated from that point in time as rain and fierce winds lashed Sydney.

I found the ‘Tusk Ivory’ I applied in the laundry this morning to be a lighter shade than that applied yesterday. Therefore, I repainted most of the two-thirds of the room before moving on to the sunroom. Using the roller extensively, I finished this room, as well.

This afternoon, Frank Hyde broadcast the match between St. George and Canterbury-Bankstown. The game was played in the mud of Belmore Oval, with the former being the victor by five points to two. Manly-Warringah defeated Penrith in similar conditions, at Brookvale Oval, by thirteen points to eight.

We viewed the last thirty minutes of Channel Seven’s screening of “Tarzan And The Jungle Boy”, a film produced in 1968, which features Mike Henry as Tarzan. “Seven’s Big League”, from half past six, shows edited coverage of the contest between St. George and Canterbury-Bankstown. An hour later Channel Two shows the highlights from the First ‘Silver Jubilee’ Test. At eight o’clock we switched to Channel Nine and the second half of “Hawaii Five-O”, in which a policewoman and three men are placed in a punctured rubber raft, in the Pacific, before it is cast adrift from a yacht.

“The Great St. Trinian’s Train Robbery”, a British movie, may be watched on Channel Seven from half past eight. It stars Frankie Howerd and Reg “The Rag Trade”/”On The Buses” Varney.

 

It was still teeming with rain and just thirteen degrees Celsius, as we left for work. Nonetheless, the sun appeared by eleven o’clock before showers made an appearance by the middle of the afternoon.

Ted Dexter, a former English captain and dashing right-hand batsman, has accused the Australian fast bowler, Len Pascoe, of throwing — of being a “chucker”. Len Pascoe’s style of delivery is compared to that of the highly controversial Ian Meckiff on the back page of today’s “The Sun” newspaper. Ian Meckiff’s career in Test cricket ended, in 1963, when he was repeatedly no-balled by umpires because they deemed his action to be that of a thrower of the ball.

Channel Seven’s news, which is read by the amiable Roger Climpson, from 6.30 p.m., reports that the Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin, is missing, amidst reports that he might have been assassinated.

Tiki drove through the rain along General Holmes Drive as we made our way to visit with friends. The radio was tuned to 2UW and “Sam Gallea Gold”. Sam played “Undercover Angel”, which is a current release by Alan O’Day; “The Night Chicago Died”, from 1974, by the British group, Paper Lace; “Come A Little Bit Closer” (1964) by Jay and The Americans; and Barry Manilow’s new single, “Looks Like We Made It”.

“Dance Little Lady, Dance” by the English singer, Tina Charles, has been atop the pop charts here for about five weeks, however, “A Mean Pair Of Jeans”, recorded by the Australian, Marty Rhone, is improving its position rapidly. Marty is Indonesian by birth.

I drove home in rain that amounted to little more than drizzle. David “Starsky And Hutch” Soul’s “Going In With My Eyes Open” and his follow-up to “Don’t Give Up On Us”, was on the radio, nevertheless, I turned to 2BL and learned that England was 1-29 in its second innings.

 

Frank Kennedy, the self-professed “champion of the little punter”, lost his battle against leukaemia last night at half past ten. He appeared for years on the “Punters’ Post Mortem” segment of Channel Seven’s “Sports Action” programme, with fellow panellists, Ian Craig and Max Presnell.

It is raining, again. We viewed “The Flintstones” from 5.30 p.m. before switching to Channel Two for Lorne Greene’s “Last Of The Wild” which, this evening, is about the Arctic. Singer, Renee Geyer, is interviewed on “Willesee” prior to another serving of the American comedy, “Good Times”.

Highlights from the First ‘Silver Jubilee’ Test are shown on Channel Two, from eight o’clock. Australia was dismissed for 296, which meant that England was eighty runs in arrears. Tall, gangly English right-arm fast bowler, Bob Willis, had finished with the highly impressive figures of 7-78. By stumps, England had fought back to be just two wickets down for one hundred and eighty-nine runs. Bob Woolmer remained unbeaten on one hundred and fourteen.

Live coverage of the match began at half past eight. I observed it until ten o’clock. Bob Woolmer was dismissed when his score had reached one hundred and twenty. Tony Greig, the tall, lanky, right-hand all-rounder, remained unbeaten on eighty when I called it a night.

A trifecta on the races at Ballarat’s racecourse, Dowling Forest, this afternoon returned approximately $11,500 for a successful investment of one dollar. Trifectas have only been held on the T.A.B. in New South Wales for the past few months.

‘Claws’ is the title of this evening’s programme from the “Last Of The Wild” series. At seven o’clock, on “Willesee”, its host, Mike Willesee, receives a visit from ‘Luigi Risotto’, a character who is portrayed by the Australian actor, Colin McEwan. He is talking about the Australian Government’s plans to buy a cubist painting for one and a half million dollars. He proceeds to point out that the female nude’s derriere isn’t even new because it has a crack in it.

“The Paul Hogan Show” screens for an hour from half past seven. We viewed the progression of the First ‘Silver Jubilee’ Test, on Channel Two, from half past eight. England had scored three hundred and five in its second innings, of which Tony Greig had contributed ninety-one. Australia, in its pursuit of the 226 runs it required, in order to win, had its back to the wall at 6-114 when I retired to bed at a quarter past nine. The normally swashbuckling left-handed batsman, David Hookes, had contributed fifty of these 0ne hundred and fourteen.

The First ‘Silver Jubilee’ Test was declared to be a draw overnight. Tiki drove the Chrysler ‘Galant’ to work with me seated beside her singing along to the songs being played on 2KY. “Raincoat In The River”, which was a moderately successful ditty for Australian Dig Richards, in 1962, was one I particularly enjoyed hearing again.

Prince Charles appears on the front page of “The Sun”, swimming with a blonde skinny-dipper in Fiji.

“Last Of The Wild”, this evening centres upon dolphins, whales and seals and how they are being trained by the U.S. Navy. Channel Seven’s ‘News’, which is read by Roger Climpson, from half past six, shows the President of The United States, Jimmy Carter, addressing Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, as “John” in welcoming him to the White House. It appears that no-one in Mr. Fraser’s entourage had informed the White House that the Prime Minister uses his second given name in place of his first.

“The Naked Vicar Show” follows “Willesee”, on Channel Seven, and, in turn, from half past eight, there is another programme in the series, “Policewoman”.