Dining at Dempsey Hill Singapore
MONDAY, JUNE 30
There are six uncapped players in the England rugby league squad named ahead of this year’s Ashes campaign against the touring Kangaroos. Coach Shaun Wane’s newcomers are James Batchelor (Hull KR); Morgan Gannon, James McDonnell (Leeds), Harry Robertson, George Delaney (St Helens) and Owen Trout (Leigh).
Marie and I have come to the end of our Euro/UK/Singapore trip. Our last day in Singapore sees us lunch at the Dempsey Project on Dempsey Hill, and my crab pasta is a delight, as is the pistachio ice cream. We say farewell to our daughter, Melanie who has been a magnificent guide during our time in Singapore. At the airport I self pour a Kirin beer in the Singapore Airlines Lounge.
TUESDAY, JULY 1
My first sighting of Australia is the Northern Territory, followed by Queensland’s Channel Country. Predictably we get an Indian cabbie on arrival at Brisbane Airport, but unlike the drivers we experienced in England, this bloke is driving a clean car and is a great conversationalist. And predictably, he is a cricket fan, and a knowledgeable one at that. This gent, who lives at Runcorn, remembers Bishen Bedi and also the Nawab of Pataudi, two players I saw in action for India against Australia at the Gabba in 1967. The cabbie says the Nawab’s son is a Bollywood actor. Our cabbie also says India will struggle in the current series against England because they rely too much on the pace bowling of Bumrah.
Learn that Alan Graham will finish this month as Suncorp Stadium general-manager. My first dealings with Alan were in 1996 when he was appointed CEO of the now defunct South Queensland Crushers Rugby League side. It’s great to be back home, but there are a number of things I haven’t missed, including – stop/go people on every corner; CFMEU flags; a Welcome to Country at the opening of an envelop; television ads on rotation; reports of car thefts and home invasions; and painful AFL people.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 2
Learn of the passing of Barry Kennedy, 73, ex-Army and ex-Pentridge Jail warder. Barry lived here at Samford Grove with his partner, Heather McKenzie, the mother of my former Telegraph workmate, Scott McKenzie. Also learn of the passing of Northern New South Wales identities, Fr Peter Karam, 83; Bruce Olive , 94; and Barry Davidson, 94. Fr Peter was parish priest at the Sacred Heart Church, Murwillumbah in 1972 when he was patron of the Brothers’ Rugby League Club,, which I played for. Of Lebanese descent, Fr Peter was ordained at St Mary’s in his home town, Casino in 1967. Bruce was a product of Casino rugby league and also played first grade football in the Illawarra and for Newtown in Sydney. He represented New South Wales 10 times (eight games against Qld and games against the touring 1958 and ’62 Great Britain sides) and was unlucky not to represent Australia. Bruce was Indigenous and that may have counted against him in the selection room at a time when there were very few aboriginals playing at the elite level. Tweed Heads’ product, Lionel Morgan was the first Indigenous man to represent Australia – in 1960. Barry Davidson was a noted rugby league radio caller for 2LM. He and ex-Sydney Wests/Manly-Warringah forward, Harry Grew were a formidable pair on the radio air waves.
Our eldest son, Damien; wife, Emma and daughters, Parker and Evan arrive in Brisbane from Townsville on the first leg of a six month adventure which will take them to Singapore, Europe and Britain.
THURSDAY, JULY 3
Almost a (caffeine) disaster. I buy a bag of coffee beans at Long Larder in Samford, only to discover they are decaf. They weren’t supposed to be on the shelf with the real coffee, and the store staff are full of apologies.
FRIDAY, JULY 4
Castleford (West Yorkshire) born John Kear steps down as coach of the Welsh Rugby League side. John, who I have met and interviewed a number of times, both here and in Britain, is one of rugby league’s great servants. The Broncos hit back from 18-0 down to defeat second placed Canterbury-Bankstown in Sydney. Five eighth, Ezra Mam is booed every time he gets involved. He can expect that to be the case for the rest of the season given many fans believe he got off lightly for a drug driving offence.
SATURDAY, JULY 5
Learn of the passing of Barry Boyd, a fine rugby league player, and later a first grade referee. Barry controlled a number of games in which I played for Murwillumbah Brothers in the 1970s. I had no idea he had such an extensive playing background. He played first grade with Parramatta and Balmain in the Sydney competition, and Wynnum-Manly in Brisbane. In the Tweed Valley he played for Cudgen and also for Murwillumbah club, Kangaroos. The Boyd name is one of the most famous in the Tweed Valley.
Marie and I attend a rock n roll night here at Samford Grove, with the night ending with a conga line as Running Bear is sung. That’s the way it was, way back kiddies. It is wonderful to see so many residents having a great time, up and dancing, some despite physical ailments. Spearpoint Security Group executive chairman, Ted Devereux’s style is a winner. Ted, a graduate of Harrogate Army College in the UK, is a rugby union fan and has tickets to Lions’ Test matches
SUNDAY, JULY 6
Former Great Britain rugby league centre, Garry Schofield is in Australia to celebrate his 60th birthday and to catch up with old mates from his time playing in Sydney with Balmain and Wests. In England he played for Hull FC and Leeds, but regards himself as a Leeds man. He is delighted to learn that Leeds have beaten competition leaders, Hull KR overnight. Marie and I have given Leeds’ jerseys to our grandsons, Ethan and Connor as gifts from our Northern Hemisphere trip.
Rugby Union’s British Lions are touring Australia and a delegation is in Maitland in the Hunter Valley today to pay their respects to Robert Seddon, who drowned in the Hunter River in 1888 while on tour with the inaugural Lions. Maitland is very much a rugby league town and the local ‘pumpkin pickers’ club is aiming for their fourth Newcastle Premiership in a row. From all reports they are a professional outfit, with the players turning up on game day wearing suits. The club is sponsored by the City Bowls Club. One of my best mates, Greg Grainger played for Maitland and in 1970 I played alongside Bob Pannowitz from Maitland – at Murwillumbah Brothers. Bob’s brother, Terry played for Australia from Maitland in 1965, and there is a grandstand named after him at the club’s home ground.
Tennis icon, Ken Rosewall phones ‘Macca’ (Ian McNamara) on ABC Radio for a chat. Ken, a former student of Kogarah High, is a lifetime supporter of the St George Dragons rugby league side, as is Macca. Macca, another Kogarah High old boy, has given up on the Australian cricket side, largely because of skipper, Pat Cummins’ preaching about the evils of Australia Day and the need to push through green energy projects.
The Queensland State of Origin side has been rocked by the news that skipper, Cameron Munster’s father, Steven died overnight. I also learn of the passing of prominent Queensland journalist, Michael Beattie, and one of the original TV chefs, Peter Russell-Clarke
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