|
History /
TheRoaring40sBilinga SLSC - The Roaring Forties by Andy Collins No names given to protect the innocent Written as requested by Percy the Master Historian Modified to preserve the club’s code of ethics Ron Ayre’s believe it or not (with apologies to Ripley) 1st scene:- Grand Hotel Coolangatta Subject:- Two missing knight statues from front patio The story was that persons unknown (your guess) had a few noggins too many decided the statues required cleaning and somehow (never disclosed) managed to get them to the surf for a dip where they were found next day undamaged but clean. They were safely returned to home. No perpetrators were ever found. Imagine doing this today - you would need a royal commission to find the truth. Incidentally the owner of the hotel was a friend of the club 2nd scene :- Coolangatta Catholic Church Midnight Mass Club members comprised an equal quantity of Catholics and Protestants with a few atheists thrown in. The Irish noted for their liking of a drop of Guinness or XXXX sometimes had difficulty in getting to midnight mass. Under persuasion two Protestants (non drinkers) were elected as tour guides to ensure they reached their destination. This went off reasonably well for a few weeks until one member (Irish) “the club champion wind breaker” decided at midnight mass to exhibit his prowess with a remarkable result. He cleared out two rows of parishioners. Next day club members presented him with a bag of corks and the tour guides resignation. 3rd scene:- Jazzland Dance Hall Coolangatta A club member was part of the resident band that played every Saturday night, a popular date for club members. This member didn’t mind a tipple or two or more, readily available out the back after each number. One night, we in the audience, noticed he was getting a list to starboard and then to port eventually leading him to fall off his perch (much to the merriment of attending club members) in the middle of a number he was subsequently stood down for one week. The charge being “that he left his place of employment without permission” 4th scene:- Bus travel to Southport Station Buses were usually full by the time they pulled up at Bilinga. On one occasion the driver said to the six intrepid members that the only room left was in the luggage rack on top of the bus roof. They had to catch the last train to Brisbane, so believe it or not the six accepted and had the scariest ride in their life No health and safety departments in those days It was never repeated but this is a true story 5th scene:- Bilinga beach outward surfing in a cyclone Big waves were pounding against the sand dunes in front of the club house making a drop of 8 feet. Some of the better swimmers (after a couple of rums) decided to catch a wave out. They managed with great difficulty to get out luckily halfway to Tugun totally exhausted , a feat never repeated. 6th scene:- Greenmount Beach surf boat experience Not possessing a surf boat and being friends with the Greenmount boat captain, the opportunity came for a crew who fancied themselves as first time rowers to go out and gain some experience in Greenmount’s boat with the boat captain as sweep. As a fair sea was running he advised the crew the fundamentals of operation including if the boat started to broach to get over to the opposite side to counteract. All was going well until the broach. The captain issued a command not quite the same as the original advice His order was “all over the side” in two seconds he was the only one in the boat. A long swim home and not another invitation (it is better to have tried and lost than never to have tried at all) 7th scene:- Surf Carnival swim entrants Club advice - if you get too far behind - take your club cap off and they will not be able to identify you. 8th scene:- Rail trip to Southport strange ride fromErnest Junction to Southport Train from Brisbane would split into two - one to Southport and one to Coolangatta. One member decided to relieve himself between the Southport carriages. The train moved off and he rode to Southport on the carriage buffers. This is true as I was there. There are a million stories in the naked city and this is just a few of them Those were the days my friends I thought they Would never end. But they did. |
|
Bilinga SLSC 257 Golden Four Drive, Bilinga, Qld 4225 | 
|