Roon and Family around Oz

T+ 220     Forbes, Parkes and the Warrambungles  They reckon that everybody remembers where they were when; - Kennedy was assassinated - 9/11 happened - Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the moon - The Berlin Wall came down Give it a go, if you're old enough.  In my case I was 5 when Kennedy was shot and I remember, quite vividly, my Mum crying when she walked me home from school and explaining why.  The night of 9/11 I was in Sydney being treated to a quite superb dinner at a famous Sydney restaurant by our very good friend Roman, who at the time was the Austrian Commercial Attache to Australia. A waiter came along and told us. I went back to Roman's palatial house in Bellevue Hills and we stayed up all night glued to the TV  For the first landing on the moon I was at home in Manchester watching blurry images on our 18" Black and White TV in a state of distress having the same day being told I hadn't been picked for the school football team. Man on the moo...

T+208       The Riverina - 'Where's that hound when you need him'  Now, I said to Tobes the morning after, ' Dare's no point in havin' a dog and barkin' yerself is there now?' In my best County Cork accent. AWOL he was, not even missing in action, totally disinterested. Well, to be fair he claims to be a Border Collie not a Rotweiller, but still you would have thought just this once when he was really needed he could have come up with a Pit Bull impersonation and risen to the occasion. Dogs are like tax accountants, where are they when you really need them. The occasion in question takes place in deepest Don Corlione country. Well, glorious Griffith to be precise, capital of the Riverina, bread basket of NSW, a huge Italian community - and the world's best Italian bakery. 5:30AM. I'm awoken by a large thump on the left ear from a clearly agitated spouse. The Beast is shaking. I immediately think - as you would - earthquake, and try to c...