Category: My Diary

The first World Series Rugby League game was played, from 12.30 p.m., in Auckland. Australia led New Zealand by twelve points to two at half-time and continued its dominance in the second half to win by 27-12. In doing so the victors scored five tries to the opposition’s two.

Later, I listened to Manly-Warringah being mauled by the Balmain ‘Tigers’. The score at half-time was 15-4, which was extended to 27-11 at the final whistle. Ray Branighan and Elwyn Walters, according to the commentary, were too pedestrian.

At four o’clock, I re-entered the house to watch the remainder of the match between Sydney and Auckland, at rugby union, from the T.G. Millner field, in Eastwood. Sydney led by thirteen points to nine, however, Auckland stormed home in the last twenty minutes to win by 26-13.

Meanwhile, the film, “The 500 Pound Jerk”, which stars James “The Naked City”/”The Investigators”/”Mr. Novak”/”Longstreet” Franciscus, is also screening. It is about an American weight-lifter, who competes in the division for heavyweights and attempts to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games, of 1972, which were held in Munich.

“Ask The Leyland Brothers” takes the viewer to the studios of artist, Pro Hart, in Broken Hill; and also visits Ayers Rock.

“Seven’s Big League” programme, from half past six, replays this afternoon’s spiteful match between Parramatta and Cronulla-Sutherland, which was played at Cumberland Oval. Three players –two from Cronulla-Sutherland — were sent off after an all-in brawl erupted. Parramatta won the match by twenty-two points to fifteen.

Channel Nine, from half past seven, replayed this afternoon’s international, which was held at Carlaw Park.

I could not sleep and so I arose at ten to four and switched on Channel Nine. The film, “The Woman Hunter”, from 1972, featuring Robert “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” Vaughn, Barbara “I Dream Of Jeannie” Eden, Stuart Whitman and Michael “Broken Arrow” Ansara, was being screened. The break of dawn heralded a sunny morning and a temperature of just seven degrees Celsius.

This evening, after “Flashez”, I watched “The Big Match”: West Ham and Derby (pronounced as “Darby”) County drew two-all. Both teams are in danger of being relegated to Division 2.

“Willesee”, at seven o’clock, includes an item on a female rower who has been banned from competition because of her alleged loose morals. She used the word “shit” on the show. Another segment includes reporter Paul Makin’s coverage on the new sport of grass skiing.

After “The Dick Emery Show”, we turned to the ABC’s Channel Two to view “In The Wild”. In this evening’s edition adventurer, Harry Butler, the presenter of the series, traces the Canning Stock Route in Western Australia and walks on Lake Disappointment — a salt lake — in the process.

We returned to Channel Seven, at half past eight, for Episode 19 of “Rich Man, Poor Man: Book 2”.

This is unofficially the last day of autumn. I defied the threatening storm clouds and walked to work. A cold wind blew strongly at lunchtime. In fact, it was so cold outside that it required an effort just to speak.

The maximum temperature of just fourteen degrees Celsius means that Sydney has experienced its coldest day in May since 1956. Melbourne’s maximum of just eight delivers that city its coldest day in May for eighty years.

The Australian music series ‘Flashez’, presented by singer, Ray Burgess, may be viewed from 5.30 p.m., on ABC television, and is followed by ‘Last Of The Wild’, a documentary narrated by actor and recording artist, Lorne Greene. This evening’s edition screens from six o’clock and is entitled ‘Animals Of The Forest’. Lorne, who was born in Canada, in 1915, played Ben, the patriarch of the Cartwright family, in the perennial western series, ‘Bonanza’, from 1959 until 1973. In 1964, his recording, ‘Ringo’, spent three weeks atop the American charts.

‘A Gathering Of Eagles’, a film from 1963, is centred around life on an airforce base and stars Rock Hudson, Rod ‘Hong Kong’ Taylor and the English actress, Mary Peach. It is introduced by Bill Collins, from half past eight, on Channel Seven.

Former Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, survives a challenge to his leadership of the Federal Opposition when he receives thirty-two votes, from colleagues in the Labor Party, to Bill Hayden’s thirty.

A work-mate has just paid a deposit on a Jaguar XJ 2.8 litre sedan. It is six years old and priced at seven thousand dollars.

“Mum” gave me a dessertspoonful of expectorant in the hope that it would ease the tight feeling in my chest. I have had this feeling for almost a week!

“It’s Academic”, a quiz series for children, and the young at heart, is on Channel Seven this evening from half past five. Later, Leslie Nielsen is a guest star on “Swiss Family Robinson”. The series includes among its cast Martin “Route 66″/”Adam-12” Milner, Cameron “The High Chaparral” Mitchell and Helen Hunt.

We dined at the Chinese restaurant, Fountain Inn, on Port Hacking Road, in Caringbah. Two pineapple juices, one serving of fried rice, lobster cutlets in sweet and sour sauce for main course at a cost of $7.50 each, with a serving each of lychees and ice-cream and two cups of Chinese tea, resulted in a bill which totalled $19.60.

I was up from five past two until twenty-five past four this morning. In that time I drank a glass of lemonade to help relieve what felt like wind trapped in my chest.

After breakfast, Tiki painstakingly cut my hair, obviously stung by her mother’s criticism of the other day in which she stated that I should be getting it cut by an expert.

A friend of the family arrived today and plans to stay for one week. She is ninety years of age and confided in me that she once had a pain in her chest and drank a glass of beer in order to relieve her of wind. I am starting to believe that the culprit might be my heart.

Downstairs, I slept for an hour from half past three. When I ventured up to the lounge room, “Mum” informed me that I looked terrible.

Although it was quite warm and uncomfortable this morning, it has been another glorious day with a maximum temperature of twenty-seven degrees Celsius.

This evening between half past five and half past six, on ABC-TV’s Channel Two, we viewed the one hundredth edition of the pop music programme, “Countdown”, hosted by the bumbling Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum.

The doctor prodded my stomach and took my blood pressure. Then, having listened to my late mother’s case history, decided to book me in for a blood test tomorrow and, as an extra precaution, an electrocardiograph.

Hollywood actor, James Stewart, is interviewed on “Willesee”, this evening, from seven o’clock. He is out here to promote his seventy-sixth film, “Airport ’77”. His son was killed while fighting in the Vietnamese War.

Today’s weather was almost a carbon copy of yesterday’s, which included the same maximum temperature.

I was not allowed to partake of any breakfast for I was scheduled to have a blood test at half past ten. The doctor has asked me to ring on Thursday morning, in order to receive my results.

Whilst I was at the clinic my heart was scrutinised via an electrocardiograph. The doctor found it difficult to get the suction cups to adhere to my hairy chest. He was able to tell me that the graph of my heartbeat showed no irregularities.

I arrived at Tiki’s place of work to give her a lift home and found that she was being pestered by a member of the staff, in the office in which she works. He gave me some unsolicited advice on how one should beat one’s wife, by stating that a husband should use a telephone directory and/or a length of rubber hose, in order to minimise the bruising.

The American comedy series, “Good Times”, at half past seven, gave way to a changing of channels and “Holiday”, from eight. This evening’s edition takes the viewer to Vila, in the New Hebrides, before examining a journey across the southern part of Australia on the Indian-Pacific Railway, before, lastly, exploring the options should one wish to plan ahead to visit this year’s Melbourne Cup.

It was already a warm twenty-three degrees Celsius at 6.30 a.m., and developed into the hottest day in April since 1969, with a maximum of thirty-two degrees.

I am, once again, experiencing difficulty in breathing. It is as if someone is standing on my chest.

It has been a hot and humid day with a maximum temperature of twenty-eight degrees Celsius. This was followed by rain from half past three.

This evening, from half past seven, we watched an English documentary on the American bald eagle and whether the species can actually survive.

We retired to bed after having viewed “Policewoman” from half past eight.