Club Dubbo
Great clubs are special – they have significance, respect and heartbeat … in fact many heartbeats and voices, in harmony. People and place.
Club Dubbo is one such place.
On the Saturday night, snakes of people queued down the entrance steps and onto the footpath in order to eat in the Bistro which seats 250-300 people. The star attraction … Pakistani chef extraordinaire and passionate cricket fan. Always nice to meet the chief of kitchen staff … certain to get a great meal.
Part of the rebranding was to get everyone involved, especially families – open day, free barbeque sausages, burgers etc. Giveaways … entertainment for the children.
Saturday night entertainment was buzzing … the place to be. Sunday had the more sporting flavour.
Lawn-bowls began early on the beautifully manicured surface … pace fast. Substantial prize money to be won. Lawn-bowls is the perfect sport for aging fast bowlers – in-swingers and out-swingers shaped at will. Just check which dot (bias) is on what side to avoid embarrassment … don’t get too excited on the ‘drive’ otherwise you’ll miss the ‘jack’ and end up in the ‘ditch’ or gutter. End after end … clusters of applause. My pleasure to hand out the cheques to the winning teams. New cricket shirts had arrived from the embroidery shop, destined for a season of battle between bat and ball. The pre-season ceremony of handing out black and gold shirts to the players of the Newtown Cricket Club – a nice sprinkling of youth and experience. No excuses now.
After the photos, my turn to pitch a few ‘verbal’ deliveries – wasn’t long before I shouted ‘Owzat?’ A filing cabinet of memories followed – canary yellow, pastel pink and pale blue gear was all the rage during WSC and in “Kerry Packer’s Wars” (as seen on TV). Anecdote followed anecdote … a captive audience of young children, mums, dads and players … ‘the way’ it should be … funny, serious and uplifting stories.
A golf course beckoned next door, but no time to swing the clubs.
The famous zoo is across the very picturesque river view from the balcony. I doubt there are many clubs of this type with such a breathtaking vista.
EJ, the local radio host, let it be known … “Max has a birthday in a few days … let’s celebrate”. Wonderful people … empathy and generosity of spirit.
Totally bowled over … out comes the birthday cake … “Happy Birthday, dear Max … Happy Birthday”. A collective celebration in full voice.
I am normally not stuck for words, but just for a moment I was … until a young girl asked to help me blow out the one candle. After saying ‘yes’ I soon had more takers equally as young.
What a way to close a weekend away.
Thank you to everyone. I am now officially Club Dubbo Member No. 263 … the same as my Australian Green Baggy Test Cap. One rumour circulating just prior to departure was that those with clout had changed the batting order … ie, bumped the Lord Mayor further down the list … you have to smile.
Conversations with people … laughter … friendship and a feeling of belonging, somewhere to identify with … whenever … a hub … a club … Club Dubbo.
Please enjoy the hospitality if you’re passing through. Say “Good-day” to the chef … you’ll get looked after just … just tell ‘em Maxie sent you! A successful rebrand in progress.
Have a look through Club Dubbo’s great new website >
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India
I never had the opportunity of playing Test cricket on the sub-continent. I wish I had … and I may very well have written another 5 books … the title of “How to Tangle a Turban, Maxi”, beckons …
India is indelible … a total attack on the senses of taste, touch, smell, sight and sound … manifesting itself in a multitude of dimensions.
As a keen photographer … my natural reaction to the never-ending stream of amazing images and the, at times, confronting circumstances was to fall in love with this intoxicating country. An unforgettable sea of humanity knotted itself together inside every airport and railway station. In the cities … streetscapes were like watching a multitude of extras in a movie. And this constant activity of daily life … challenged a spectrum of emotions.
Bus rides on the subcontinent are always thrill-seeking adventures … danger filtered by a cacophony of tooting horns. Traffic laws appear to have no relevance. Sharing a pot-holed stretch of bitumen with camels, elephants, donkeys and every known cycling machine is common place. Not unusual to witness a truck, van or bus hurtling into the path of traffic on the wrong side of the road … decorated in electric hand-painted designs … windows framed internally with fluffy pom-pom balls and wide eyes scan for shortcuts and impossible gaps.
My camera rarely dropped from a focusing eye. Postcard compositions formed everywhere I pointed the lens. India, the sleeping elephant, finally standing up and flapping massive ears – understanding and beginning to realise a dynamic potential. India’s continued growth continues to impress the rest of the world … expanding manufacturing, construction, power, travel and infrastructure project development will ensure India maintains a large footprint in a volatile and changing global economy … alongside China’s growth.
Australia and India have much in common. They share a vision of a mutually beneficial alliance already. There is a symbolic cultural bridge in place. The traffic each way is increasing as more and more businesses and individuals seek out opportunities and find success. Indian students are plentiful in Australian universities, sharing skills and culture. Nevertheless, Australia needs to work harder to make sure the experience is always positive.
The No. 1 wonder of the world, the Taj Mahal, was a highlight of my business matching visit – blue sky, white marble dome, multiple arches cornered by a quadrant of elegantly profiled towers … reflected in a black inky rectangle of water in the forecourt … a divine composition. Ant-like streams of people slowly edge towards this architectural masterpiece – so too 5 Buddhist monks in stunning orange robes. I take their photograph … we talk cricket, exchange email addresses and I sign 5 autographs in their palm-sized notebooks. Again travel presents a wonderful experience.
Late afternoon the chance to pose next to an extremely colourful living giant canvass in the form of an elephant is too compelling to drive past.
One unforgettable evening I presented a cricket bat signed by the late Sir Donald Bradman to the Cricket Club of India … I will never forget the collective reaction in that room. First, jaws dropped followed by a loud sucking of air and settling into frozen smiles below sets of wide-open eyes. (For many years I used to receive a Xmas card from a man named Prahab … no Father Xmas on the front of the card merely a black and white image of Sir Donald and Prahab shaking hands). Bradman remains a legend on the sub-continent more than half a century after retirement. So too Sachin Tendulkar, the little master, and contemporary players like Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne and Steven Waugh.
The Madras Club invitation was a special privilege. Décor from another era. Lofty ceilings and ornate drop fans gently moving hot humid air, dominated the exclusive space. Slotted timber shutters framed the verandah windows. The Chef, plus staff and beverage waiters, could well have been plucked from the pages of a Rudyard Kipling novel. Tailored jackets, vertical back, silver trays and pale jodhpurs. The sizzling theatre and aroma of a barbeque lifted the appetite. Businessmen and women exchanged business cards while discussing possibilities. Not easy while eating and drinking … only 2 hands!! Out side torrential raindrops drenched and choked the bustling metropolis of Chennai.
There was no need to be in a hurry. Storytelling was centre stage as guests chatted constantly. New beginnings. The cultural bridge working beautifully.
The generosity of spirit and hospitality was wonderful … so much to share and create. IMAGINATION + ASSOCIATION = POSSIBILITY.
A ferry ride from the “Gateway to India” out to Elephant Island was an introduction to dodgy water sellers, touts, Gods, Goddesses … rock carving, temples, beached boats and stray dogs.
The juxtaposition of seemingly unconnected elements sits with harmony and calmness amongst the chaos. A shared short voyage ending in a fading filter of orange light. Architectural elegance silhouetted the shoreline. To our left and right the red, white, blue and yellow ferries kissed gently on the energy of gentle waves …
Where to next?
I can’t wait to get back to immerse myself in the heady and magnetic attractions of the subcontinent.
I shall create that opportunity shortly – I will energize the idea … I promise …
More photos from my amazing time in India >
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A great cause – A great movie
Every ticket sold will benefit a Cambodian school child.
You’ll enjoy the night. Your support will make a difference.
RFC movie invite _2_
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Carbine Club Singapore
Had a wonderful time with my colleagues in Singapore. Glad to see one of my graphic notes was put to good use too.
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Aged Care Conference
Enjoy the news of this exciting and extremely interesting conference.
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