Bondi Beauties

Roselle(Nee Gowan) and Richard Wilson kindly put us up (put up with us) at their home of 10 days @ North Bondi Beach. Perkins and Brendan made new friends almost at once. They had been warned to expect a tacky beach strewn with broken bottles and condoms but in fact found the place to be clean and rubberfree. They quickly met Barrie, a former International Aussie Rugby player, piano player and all round good sport and his mate Aaron Mc Millan an Australian Concert Pianist of some renown. Aaron, 27, is the only Australian painist to have played a solo concert in the Sydney Opera House of all Australian compositions.

Barrie Crocker, as Roselle called him , chauffered us to a piano recital in a small suburban concert hall, situated at the back of a private residence. There was an air of a British colonial gathering in the fifties, complete with drinks on the verandah and 'supper' afterwards in the garden. The supper was predominately lemon meringue pie, cake, cake, biscuits and cake. Met with several wonderful people. John and Margaret (there were 5 Margarets), he a family lawyer and she a writer and therapist. She has just published a book based on the first three months of life, I guess we all need a copy although Mr Poodle claims to remember it well . Both in their sixties but like a couple in their thirties or thirteens; so positive about love, romance and destiny. John had a strong conviction about reincarnation bordering on the knowledge of it. He quizzed the Poodles about their first meeting and was delighted and excited (delira and excita).

The concert itself was performed on a Kawai boudoir grand and was a selection from his Opera House programme, consisting of contemporary classical music. Mr Poodle won 1st prize at the end of the concert for his reading of musical jokes picked from a hat. He had choice of a hamper, Roses choccies (horribly tempting) or a videotape of an ABC documentary TV programme on Aaron's battle with a brain tumor and the subsequent operation performed by a leading Australian surgeon. This was of course intermingled with his musical career. We have still to see it but it is a huge privelege to have it and to have met Aaron who is such a gifted and sensitive artist not to mention a humble one.

We also met an international lawyer who had a deep knowledge of contemporary Australian painting, Ant Abrams and his wife (Margaret of course). He has given Shri Poodle the phone number of Tim Storrier an outstanding painter of fires in the bush. On giving Margaret the Email address of Mr Poodle she asked if 'winterpoodle' had something to do with his hairstyle or colour, the cheeky monkey.

Also in attendance was a maker of soya chocolate who is beginning to export worldwide. His wife's name is Margaret.

The next day we met Santa a week early. He was boarding a bus in shorts, Santa suit and hat, and carried an ice cream. It transpired he was the driver and was quite happy to have his photo taken.

Also on Bondi beach we came upon an aged hippy in topknot and pink skirt (male) who explained that he was thinking of visiting Ireland to make love to Sinead O'Connor or Ian Paisley. 'Which would we recomend?". Mrs Poodle replied "neither".He stood by signs he had made of varying significance. One read "I LOVE politicians" another "We came here for ADVENTURE, DRAMA, from a place of boring PEACE. Today we live in a world where DEATH, REPULSION and TERROR could leap out and get us. AND WE LOVE IT!

Said our goodbyes to Roselle on Monday who was busy with a major putsch on the launch of the Corporate Butterfly brochure and PR presentation. Maybe Shotgun Studio will be involved at some point.

Horrible bag drama at Sydney airport due to the lateness of arrival and the shortness of Mr Poodle's memory. Unloading the taxi in superquick time he omitted two bags, one with the tickets. The taxi drove off. Mrs Poodle kept calm but said very little. Phone calls to taxi company. Short term mayhem all deflated by a smiling taxi driver bags in hand just as we were being called to the flight. All normal I suppose for seasoned travellers. Lots to learn especially for Mr P.

Now in melbourne and lots to report in the next installment.

A very Merry Yuletide to all our friends and family.

PS. Just adopted a new creature; "Dilly" is a snow white poodle with black nose and eyes. For every stuffed toy purchased 2 T-shirts must be sacrificed to charity.
PPS. Camille and Morgan have arrived safely and we will all christmas together tomorrow.