BGS rowing lunch

The 2015 rowing season is over.  This year Chris rowed 6 seat in the first eight and Dan was cox of the Grade 9 3rd Quad.

The first eight is the elite crew of the school and it was a privilege for Chris and another boy Paddy to secure seat in that crew.  Seats were selected and reselected competitively several times through the season.  

Sadly the first eight only managed 5th place at the head of the river.  Initially a few negative feelings as they had put in so much hard work training.  At the lunch I felt sorry for Chris as the only member of this crew who did not take away something.  The grade 12 members of the crew received a mug and Paddy received an award for 'most improved'. 

The highlight of the first eight year was winning at the Churchie regatta.  This was very exciting and the first win of a BGS first eight in years.

Dan's crew also did not win but I hope that if Dan sticks with it that he will both learn a lot about leadership and also contribute greatly to the crew.  Through my own rowing, I have learned the value of a good cox.

The lunch was held at the convention centre.  As we walked from the car park, we saw this directional sign.  Seemed appropriate.

Seating - Boys were seated in crews and parents were seated separately in year levels.  Having an "Open" grade 11 boy and a grade 9 boy meant we had divided loyalties and elected to sit on a grade 11 parents table.

The lunch included the usual array of speakers and presentations for performance.

The meal was alternate drop Beef / Pork with 2 vegies.  I felt the Beef was underdone and Chris thought the beef was dry.  Chris likes his meet rare and I like medium well done so I suspect if we had swapped meals we would have given "BEC" a better mark for food.  The general consensus was that the Pork was the better meal.

School luminaries included:
Mr McCalif - Head Master
Mark Brusasco
Ron Cochraine
Joe Rodriguez.

Dan wins 96.5 birthday boy

Dan won the birthday prize from radio station 96.5.
The prize is a cake from the French patissery at toowong.
What a selection.
We collected the cake after church today so that it would be fresh for dans party.
We ate it at kingston pk.
Yum

The Abbey Medieval Festival

We are at the 24th Abbey Medieval festival.
Surrounded by the middle ages.  Steeped in workplace health and safety.  I enjoyed the knights storming the castle complete with safety goggles.
The day begins with checking the fuel level in the generators and the wiring of the PA systems.
A grand parade where local politicians make pronouncements. I enjoyed the MC's introduction where he explained that they had captured the politician. the poli sensibly have a very short speech and declared the day started.
All mannor of reenactment groups set up camp here.  They dress in period costume and sheep in old fashioned tents.  No rip stop nylon in 1500.  it looks like these people have a lot of fun and that they develop some close friendships.  Very communal.
Mind you I sense a problem wirh the medieval economy.  There are a lot of Lords and Ladies.  Knights in shiny armour. There are priests and clergy but as far as I can see no surfs, slaves, unemployed starving dogs bodies.  Perhaps our current political masters should investigate how to run such an economy.
Opening cerimony

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.Dan and Jemma in the foreground.  Derek in the tent running the PA system.

Back stage

Some kid had a bit of a fit and suddenly this Medieval lady produced a two way radio.  A thousand years before it was invented.  Mind you the speaker stacks in the back ground seem equally out of time.