With the last minute unavailability of a scheduled speaker four  members  Robert Ball, Sheridan Browne, Gordon Cheyne and Anne Scott stepped in marvellously to each give a 5 minute story/presentation about some unusual item which they had.
 
In retrospect titled “Fantasy Fun” the near impromptu session complete with a show of their items was a great diversion from the usual formal address.  Only on completion was the audience alerted that two of the stories were “fiction”, although one must acknowledge there was a certain scepticism within the audience  generated along the way by a couple.  Those readers not present will have to use their own skill and knowledge of the integrity of each speaker to determine the truth.
 
Anne kicked off with a tale of a visit to a remote African village and how tribesmen had presented her with “hat” and a “sari” type cloth which Anne assured us was used by the local women for a multitude of tasks, ranging from child care to shopping bag to body covering.
 
 
Sheridan introduced three items from his antique collection, supposedly a light bulb spanner, tobacco cutter and cue stick (billiards) sharpener.
 
 
 
Robert elaborated on a tour to China with David Rush and the joy he experienced in first watching David eat goose liver on rice, and then jointly purchasing at a “flea market” an old RACV badge – complete with red Australian Ensign image for about $15 and then finding out it was rare and perhaps worth about $1,800 in Australia.  Indeed, on inspection we saw it was old and solid brass.
 
 
How a Scot could end up owning an Irish shillelagh once held by a "Sean O’Shane" is in itself fascinating.  Gordon told of how such an item was gifted to a relative in New York in the early 20th century by the Irish community there and subsequently left to him via family links.  The wooden stick was very old, and had that characteristic knob being that feature of the shillelagh most prominent and important for use by Irish to settle some dispute in their renowned “gentlemanly” manner.