Colourful characters

There were many colourful characters that used to relax at the Memorial Club at Ettalong Beach.

There was Fred, a champion one-armed darts player and Nick, a champion ball-room dancer who lived at the mobile park.

Old time dancing was held weekly at the club in the old days.

The Lang brothers were spectacular.

Jack would hold laugh-fests with a select few.

He would laugh so hard and loud, his false teeth would pop out onto the carpet.

His brother Bill was a master of balance.

He could walk across the dance floor and back with a schooner of beer perched on his head, without spilling a drop.

Often, he had imbibed a lot of beer, but he still didn't spill any beer from the glass.

Lindsay O'Brien and his sister Betty used to participate in the hilarious laugh fests, and Lindsay was also a famous fisho.

"Three at a time O'Brien," he was called.

Three fish at a time on the big boat and I know this to be true, because my brother and I used to go out fishing with him from time to time.

Then there was a distinguished gent in his 80s, dressed to the nines with a carnation in his lapel.

He would declare to all and sundry: "I'm as fit as a fiddle."

Then he would proceed to do push-ups on the carpet to an admiring throng of people. His lady friend used to say: "Grow up and stop showing off."

Undeterred, he kept on.

Keith Whitfield, Woy Woy