What happens when you mix Bi-Centenery Cooktown Harbour with Queens Birthday Weekend a tribe of bewildered dancers along with a lost ABC film pack & 6 crazy Irish lads, ill tell you what

by Terry Dessmonde
(Australia)

Harry wakes up at 5am to plan the days events and leave Isabella Creek camp early to pick up old "Sow Easter" his best drinking mate. What's on i hear you say. Well fun, trouble and a lot of partying at Cooktowns Bi-Centenary bash 1970 at Endeavour Park

Just like all unplanned free for all weekends Harry was not aware the Irish lads had the same idea, he only hoped the mad Frenchman and crazy German weren't onto it. A bulldozer down main street he couldn't handle, after all old Sow Easter didn't like noise as hes half deaf from too many machines out at Archer way. A cranky beer partner he could not handle today.

Harry had arranged on the road to give meet the Lardils boss man Charlie for their tribal dance gear to be transported to town.The swap was 2 barra and a small flagon just to take the stress away that is.

The main event was :

THE A.B.C DIRECT TELECAST OF CHARLIES MOB DANCE TO COMMEMERATE "HRM BIRTHDAY" AND COOKTOWN BI-CENTENARY ENDEAVOUR RIVER ENTRY:

Of course as the day progressed no one could have guessed the script.

The lads had made it, and took up a ring side view by installing a 9 gal keg on an old metal cannister under the verandah of the Phillips Cafe ;tubes /test guns /"hot to trott yipee" yells Lennie

The mad Frenchman's dozer ran out of fuel in main street right at parade linewith the German fellow heading for the local Dorm.

Charlies boys could not settle their blue with Harry over how many Barras 38 kms were worth, so they best hide down below with the lads "whats with the gun" asked Charlie! "are you going to shoot up the town"

The ABC crew claim they lost the film rolls in an old canister. It flew out of the truck pack when avoiding a sideswipe with a misterious large abandoned dozer. Its driver in a same state of repose and it being only Ten AM.

By 2 PM the local sarge smelt trouble and went looking for the Irish lads to get the mess sorted.

The end result 30 mins from dance time on a beautiful 5.30 pm sunset was no dance team and no film. HRM' s birthday was coming up as a spoiler.
Old SOW EASTER could smell trouble he and Harry would have left but for the dam dozer blocking the Endeavour pub driveway in fact that event was a town saver as no one could leave at all

Sarge got wind of the keg when he saw strange rubber lines hanging in the breeze where there should have been Mrs Phillips clothes lines ha! me thinks i detect a rat!

So seconding the ABC boys his invasion uprooted the cannister used as a keg mount "oh gaud! says lennie there goes the last 6 pints wasted" as sarge rolls the keg over.

A perfect langlands style pass of the can to Bobby the film director finds alls well with only 10 mins to broard cast.

Last seen running up main street followed by a growling dozer was four slightly tilted Irish lads.

Mrs Phillips verandah became strong double hit coffee shop(French Style) to attend to the direct needs of Charlies dance team.

The whistle of Lennies and Dennies ballard from yonder steel grills was slightly heard above the directors voice of "3, 2, 1shoot" just as HMH fireworks shot upwards seen by Harry and old Sow Easter from rivers bend, "strange says Harry i knew that Frenchman was nutty but then again he alwaz was a good dozer on a hot day in town"

AUTHORS DISCLAIMER &NOTE; much of these events occurred but not in any particular narrative or form, names are fictious and HRM was not in attendance. There are no implied or suggested remarks of fact that any person acted with impropriety or lack of integrity and there is no assumption of any statutory mal feasence by any party mentioned.

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