At the Carbine Club

Adelaide Convention Centre, 28 February 2018

The Club was started by some fellows after a long lunch in Melbourne in the 1960s, made up of men distinguished in the playing, and or administration, of sport.  ‘Carbine’ was a famous racehorse from a long time back, (Melbourne Cup, 1890) but men in any type of popular sport are welcome.  (Only men, mind – it’s an old fashioned, very Melburnian club. They still have a ‘loyal toast’ to Her Majesty and the people of Australia, and though this is a tad ‘quaint,’ it is at least a refreshing change from the soulless, depressing and condescending ‘welcomes to country’ so prevalent in these dark days.)

The SA chapter held a very successful lunch to mark the start of the C – sorry, don’t mention the ‘C’ (for Clipsal) word, as that company is no longer the major sponsor.  The Varnished Culture has been very rude about this event (the Supercars Championship) but as a guest, P was on his best behaviour, perhaps till later in the day, he having by then consumed several glasses (bottles?) of 2015 Tomich Woodside Vineyard Shiraz.

After President Nick Chigwidden opened proceedings in his customary urbane and amusing way, there was an interview by MC Chad Neylon with race-drivers Jamie Whincup (three times a winner here) and last year’s runner-up, Scott McLaughlin (see main image, with Pres. Chigwidden). P is prone to fits of yawning by the prospect of motor-sport but somehow this three-way chat was pacey and fresh enough not to pall.

Lawrence Mooney then delighted the crowd with an hilarious comedy set, featuring his turn as our current (but not necessarily future) Prime Minister Turnbull (see below).  Mooney’s Turnbull (in voice, manner, and body language) is eerily accurate, and guts that sanctimonious and pompous twit like a hog on market day.  All in all, a great luncheon, though not much time was left in the day for your correspondent to write up this account.