Sunday, January 16, 2022

YOU CAN’T MAKE OLD FRIENDS….

 



Two images of Grasstree Beach, East of Sarina...South of Mackay


 


 

A friend phoned me the other day. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence. We’re in contact every so often, by phone and email. He and I have known each other for 62 years.  His wife and I have known each other longer.

At the tender age of 17 he arrived in Gympie as a brash young radio announcer fresh from the hallowed halls of Radio 4BH, Brisbane, where, for the previous couple of years, he’d cut his teeth as a panel operator, aka panel op, under the expert tutelage of the legendary DJ, Bill Gates (not Bill Gates of Microsoft fame, but radio luminary Bill Gates who, in 1959, discovered the brothers Gibb). 

Shortly after their discovery the brothers were named “The B.Gs”.  A little while later the lads became known as “The Bee Gees”, and the rest is history.  At the time of their discovery Barry Gibb was 14, and his twin brothers, Robin and Maurice, were 10 years old.  

Back in those days and years, every Wednesday night Bill Gates hosted record hops at the O’Connor Boathouse. The iconic O’Connor Boathouse was situated on the banks of the Brisbane River at Coronation Drive, North Quay, an inner city suburb.  The Boathouse record hops were very, very popular.

Oh!  How my friends and I wanted to join the bopping throngs at those record hops, but living in Gympie, 170kms (105 miles) away, and with not a car between us, attending wasn’t possible. Mondays to Fridays we had jobs we valued, and attended each day, so “Sickies” were not part of our vocabulary. 

A piece of trivia in case you’re ever a contestant on “The Chase”…The O’Connor Boathouse was built in 1910. The boathouse, the hub of rollicking nights of rock and roll, and the centre place of many a budding romance, became victim of arson in 1968. A few years later it was demolished entirely to make way for the Riverside Expressway.

 Sadly, my friends and I never did get to do the Hucklebuck, The Watusi, or The Twist at the Boathouse. And, the only Mashed Potato we had was for dinner…or with the delicious meat pies we sometimes devoured for lunch at Patrick’s Café, Mary Street, Gympie.

Back to my good old mate…On his arrival in Gympie didn’t know anybody. Even so, he wasn’t at any time like a fish out of water.  Very soon he and I, both being keen attendees at the local dances and record hops (some of which he was the DJ), became good friends. Our friendship has lasted through the years.

When he first came to town he boarded in a home in the street up behind where I lived.  With his bright, lively personality he was hard to resist. In no time at all he had a band of friends gathered around him.  Both my mother and grandmother almost adopted him. Thinking the world of him, they took him under their wings. Quite often he sat at our dinner table.

 In 1964 he left Gympie to take up a position as a radio announcer at 4MK, Mackay in North Queensland. He returned briefly to Gympie in 1965 to wed the love of his life.  A Gympie lass I’d known for years became his wife. Directly after their wedding, the young couple returned to Mackay. Within a few years, a son and three daughters joined their happy, loving home.

Mackay is where he continued his radio career, ending up in managerial positions at at 4MK.  For a while, he jumped borders across to the TV world where he became manager of Channel 10 in Mackay.  After a while, Radio Station 4MK lured him back. There he held an executive roll for the last couple of years of his working life.

Since retiring in 2010, my old friends have lived, beachside, at Grasstree Beach, south of Mackay. He spends most days fishing and gardening. Both he and his wife are heavily involved in community affairs. He is a life member of the Mackay Apex Club, and an honorary member of the Sunrise Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow.

When their first child was born, in the early 70s, I was visiting my brother who lived in Mackay.  I’ve always been proud of the fact I was the first person outside their immediate family to be informed of the birth.

Nostalgic?  Yes, I am.  Am I grateful for having old friends? Sure am! These days, not only are we old friends, but we are old old friends, together heading up there in the years surrounded by luggage (not baggage) overflowing with memories...

 

Potato Cakes: Boil 800g potatoes. Gently fry 2tbs finely chopped onion until translucent. In bowl, combine mashed potatoes, 2 eggs, 1c diced ham, bacon or pancetta, onions, 2tbs butter and2tbs chopped chives; season. Adjust texture with a bit of milk if necessary, Preheat oven 190C. Line baking sheet. Using ring mould, place on sheet; sprinkle with breadcrumbs; scoop mixture to shape the cakes, about 3cm thick. Press down slightly; finish off with a thin layer of breadcrumbs; remove ring mould; repeat process. Bake 10mins or until golden; serve warm with grated Parmesan sprinkled on top.  Add a little grated Parmesan when preparing the mixture, if desired.

Fisherman’s Pie: Topping: Boil 1kg floury potatoes until tender. Drain well; return them to pan they were cooked in; cook over med-low heat until dried out, 2-3mins. Add 1/2 c butter; mash until smooth; then add 120ml warm milk and 2 egg yolks; mash until smooth; season.  Preheat oven 180C. Filling: Heat 1tbs olive oil in pan over med-heat; add 1 sliced leek and pinch of salt; sweating until softened, about 6-8mins (the leek that is, not you!); set aside.  Melt 3tbs butter in saucepan; whisk in 3tbs plain flour or cornflour; cook 2-3mins, until blonde in colour. Whisk in 500ml milk and 100ml cream in a slow, steady stream until thickened. Bring to simmer; cook steadily 6-7mins, whisking frequently. Fold in 300g white fish fillets of choice, 300g raw prawns, 200g frozen peas (thawed) and leek; season. Spoon into baking dish. Spread mashed potato over top, flicking it to peeks with a spoon; Scatter chopped dill or parsley on top. Bake for about 45mins until browned on top.  

 

 




24 comments:

  1. What a joy to keep in touch with friends who know and remember all of your high and low points, and you know and remember theirs.

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    1. Old friends are special...are precious, that is for sure. :)

      Take good care, messymimi...thanks for coming by. :)

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  2. Old friends are precious aren't they?

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    1. They certainly are, EC. One of my old, old friends I've known since I was three and a half years of age...and she was nine. We've remained the best of the besties since way back then.

      Thanks for coming by...take good care. I hope you're feeling lots better. :)

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  3. I remember seeing the Watusi and knowing if I tried it I might shake my brains loose.
    I also remember seeing the BeeGees being introduced and performing as young boys on a TV show but I don't remember which one. I think it was channel 9 and that's all I know.

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    1. Hi River...The Bee Gees did appear a few times on Bandstand, before they headed off to the UK. Bandstand's host was Brian Henderson.

      Ahhh! The record hops were such fun. At the coast we would dance all night long. We'd go to an early record hop, and then continue onto another...the midnight to dawn hop...and then, after dancing the night away, we'd hit the sand and surf. Heady days and nights of our youth...such fun was had.

      Thanks for coming by...take good care. :)

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    2. Yes, Bandstand. Thank you.

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    3. You're welcome, River. :)

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  4. It's good to have friendships like this going back so far. It's rare even for people to remain in the same community!

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    1. Hi David...Yes, it is good to have old friend like that. I've got quite a few...some from my early childhood...the earliest being from when I was three and a half years old. She and I chatted via phone during the past weekend. I class myself as being lucky to have my old friends still in my life. We don't see each other much these days, but we keep in touch by other methods.

      Take good care...thanks for coming by. :)

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  5. That song by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton is certainly sad....I never heard that.

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    1. Hi Tabor. The song is filled with emotions, that is for sure.

      Take good care..thanks for coming by. :)

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  6. You have my memory banks overflowing now, Lee. For some reason I'm thinking Bill Gates had a studio in Nundah, just up from the railway station. Have no idea where that memory comes from. But The Boathouse memories are many and strong, I loved Wednesday nights. But in my time there was no the Hucklebuck, and The Watusi, there wasn't enough room. If you could find a bit of room you could perhaps do The Twist. We all did a type of three step shuffle, two steps (more like slides) to the right, one back. When we were on the verandah catching a breeze, you could feel the place rocking. The hard part was leaving before it closed down to catch the last train home. Many times we had to really sprint to catch that train. My Wednesday night friends are still my dearest mates. Sadly two of us have died, how I miss them!

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    1. Oh! You've made me smile, Pauline. I love your above comment. I'm glad I brought those happy memories back to you.

      Sadly, I, too, have just lost a friend from those years. He passed away on Friday just past.

      https://nundahnews.com.au/tag/4bh-radio-dj-bill-gates/

      As of 2014 Bill Gates was living on the Gold Coast. I'm not sure if he is still alive.

      Take good care...thanks for coming by. :)

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  7. I could barely read your post because I was crying through Kenny and Dolly singing a song I had never heard.

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    1. G'day, Annie. It is a very emotional song. A couple of weeks ago I watched a tribute to Kenny Rogers concert which had many country music stars singing his songs as he sat at the side of the stage. Towards the tale end of the concert he ventured on stage, with the wonderful Dolly at his side, of course, and together they sang. It was his last stage appearance. The whole concert was very moving, and throughout many tears of my own flowed.

      The lyrics of this particular song are very moving, and it had been quite a while since I'd heard the song. Since hearing it again, it played on my mind.

      Take good care. Thanks for coming by. :)

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  8. I listened to the song before reading this post, Lee, and it was so touching to hear Kenny and Dolly because their friendship has ended with his passing. I've had good friends pass as well and they are surely missed. Today, I know a lot of people, but it will never be the same. It was good to read about your long-standing friendship, a real treasure for sure.

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    1. G'day, Beatrice. I consider myself fortunate to still have quite a few good friends of very longstanding. One such friendship goes back to when I was three and a half years old. And I can assure you it's a long time since I was three and a half years old! :)

      Old friends are special...very special.

      Kenny and Dolly were a great singing partnership. The love and respect between them was almost tangible. The tribute concert for Kenny was/is worth watching.

      Take good care...thanks for coming by. :)

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  9. Ah, I wish I had friends like that. I haven't heard from my best friend from high school in a year or so. I guess you'll inspire me to shoot an e-mail off to an old co-worker though we don't go back nearly as far as you and your friend. The Bee Gees were very popular when I was in college, even before Saturday Night Fever. I remember a lot of battle-of-the-band shows but not too many DJs from my youth. That was back in the days when garage bands were the rage.

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    1. Hey there, Dave. I class myself fortunate in that I do still have friends from so long ago. There still are a few of us left...and we do keep in touch quite regularly, if not physically these days...but via phone, email and FB.

      Take good care...I hope the coming year treats you and your loved ones kindly. Thanks for coming by. :)

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  10. It is so nice to keep in contact with old friends.

    Eddie and I like Fisherman's Pie, I often top it with mashed swede (rutabaga)

    All the best Jan

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    1. G'day, Jan. I think...no, I know...I'm fortunate I still have quite a few old friends...and we're all getting very old, too!! :) Only today I spoke with a couple of them from many, many years gone by...one from our primary school years...and that is a long, long time ago...the other two from our teenage years...again a century ago! :)

      I love swede.

      Take good care...thanks for coming by. :)

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  11. Your friend sounds really wonderful, and it's good to know people who have made a success of their lives - I don't mean necessarily career wise but being happy and making others happy too. I was surprised to hear about the Bee Gees - not that I had noticed them specialy, but they are famous enough to be there in the back of my mind. And fancy getting discovered at the ages of 14 and 10.... What a pity you never got to go to the O'Connor Boathouse. 105 km is indeed a long way to go for an evening out though!

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    1. G'day, Jenny...105 miles was a long way for us in those days...back in the early 60s. None of us had a car between us.

      I still love the music of The Bee Gees...they were very talented brothers...originally from Britain...settled in Brisbane, Queensland for a wee while, before heading back overseas again...and the rest is history! :)

      Take care...thanks for coming by. :)

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