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GFC at the Astor - November 2023 - King Charles and the Window Tax

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 'Twas 45 days prior to Christmas, and just a fortnight after Halloween. What would the GFC Members do with their time between buying up at the supermarket to entertain their family and enrich the cultural imperialists? "I know" said Chris Cunningham - "have a GFC lunch at the Astor and explore the fragile existence we all have between birth in pain, and death in pain". And so it was to be. The painful subjects were raised and dealt with, and general agreement forged (in the sense of being acknowledged and shaped, not in the sense of telling pork pies). Waiter Bradley on behalf of maitre d'hotel Rocky Donaz assisted our GFC Survivors (you are nothing in Australia unless you can be described as having survived something, even if it is only death from which you have survived). Wonderful fare, fresh mushrooms recently imported from eastern Victoria - exporter image:  A few brave souls missed the lunch, due to engagements at their health clinics (some would appe
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Ball & Chain Welcomes the Post GFC - June 2023

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 In exhilarating style, the GFC reconstituted for 2023 at the delightful Ball & Chain Grill, under tutelage of maître d'hôtel Craig Farrer and Matthew at the grill. 20 larger than life likely lads assembled around the front of house bar for pre-luncheon refreshments, after (no doubt) grueling strategic and logistical exercises: ie getting dressed and into a cab to the city of Hobart. Birthday boys Merv Simmons and Roger Kimber were marched in to the tune of 2001 A Space Odyssey - totally fitting the circumstances. Merv had been in the Good Paddock, but was still able to walk through the menu, hauling in vast quantities of beef from King Island. Image: Matthew Davis at the helm of Bistro Central - Ball & Chain Grill centrepiece Image: Jim Paltos of Melbourne, flew direct to the Ball and Chain from Tullamarine - he will do anything to get away from Desparate Dan's Victoria Jing made sure we had a booking, provided us with Pale Ale Cascade for starters, and delivered the m
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The Astor Grill Welcomes the GFC

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Conversation with the dog at noon on 29th October 2021:  Me: "I'm just heading out to the GFC lunch at the private dining room at the Astor Grill. I'll be home by 3.30pm Dog: "Bullshit. You'll be lucky to get home by 6pm. Merv will be there and he has no 'OFF' button" And so it proved to be. The part-time members of the Wuhan Waistcoat Society (that is, anyone with a waistcoat, fob watch and associated accoutrement) - images here of the author, Merv Simmons and Max Reed - joined to combine to a total of 19 members of the GFC at Rocky Donaz's Astor Grill. The rain poured down in what we remember as the wettest October in memory. Some said they don't remember it ever being that wet, yet were unable to say that was because they simply didn't remember or that it had not been that wet. Round and round went the discussion, as it can sometimes do with gentlemen.  The window panes frosted over, snow was swirling around Mount Wellington. Peter Lark
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The END of the GFC?

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Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it The clamouring for renaming the luncheon group reached a deafening roar of which we are often subjected: "change the name of Australia, change the name of the Catholic Church. Change the name of mankind. Remove Scotland from the United Kingdom....". But without a fully engaged plebiscite, (the GFC Luncheon is known throughout the length of Hobart, Salamanca, Macquarie St, and the yacht clubs and restaurants of the city) - such change will have to await removal of Boris Johnson's veto. or President Biden - whomever has the authority. Bear in mind we are simply an anarchic syndication - no more no less. However, I invite contributions by way of suggested 'new name' for this child of 2008 - feel free to reply by 'comment' below. The Ball and Chain - 7th May 2021 -  We welcomed back Bob Glade-Wright - commonly known as 'Bags' - who with wife Annie has relocated after a stint in Melbourne and a decade or
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