Fidler in the Hood: Biding my time: That’s the kind of guy I am
Johnny Louch did the Hibiscus Coast proud by being presented with a Lifetime Achievement award for outstanding charity work.
HEY there, aren’t you glad to be alive and living the good life here on the Hibiscus Coast? Okay, a bit over the top admittedly, but what are the alternatives? Living in the big city, locked into the rat race, traffic jams? We are so lucky to have left all that behind to ‘suffer the consequences’ here in the Last Outpost. It’s not a bad life.
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Battle for Trafalgar
Now that you’ve been ‘buttered up’ so to speak, folks, the bad news is that your scribe’s loyal readership has dwindled from 19 to 18 readers. Seems one Trafalgar-based reader was upset about him using the phrase ‘doing time’ (in Trafalgar). The good person was of the opinion that it was a referral to serving time in jail and that Trafalgar citizens were not ‘jailbirds’, nor are there any prisons there. Oh dear, no offence intended – it was all tongue-in-cheek stuff; and, yes, Trafalgar is one of those pearls along the Hibiscus Coast. Lucky you to be living there. As the old song says: “What can I say after I say I’m sorry?” Forgiven?
Local hero
A few weeks back, the Uvongo news was about ‘local hero’ Johnny Louch (of Margate Bowling Club) and the excellent work he does for Ex-Pro, a charity organisation which raises funds for people in need.
Fortunate to be invited to Ex-Pro’s major annual businessmen’s lunch, at Greyville Racecourse, Durban, your scribe was guided to one of the VIP tables: free drinks, free eats, free pens!
Nice work if you can get it! Thoughts were that perhaps a couple of hundred people would be there. Wrong! There were more than 800 people in attendance, getting into the spirit of things to raise money for a good cause.
Tommy Ballantyne
Old friend, sports journalist Tommy Ballantyne was also there. Tommy was the ‘original catalyst’ in bringing your scribe out to Southern Africa way back when. He was a passenger on a liner travelling from Southampton to Durban and said quite clearly “Come out. You’ll love it here. You’ll be a millionaire within six months.” Still waiting. Albeit mutual love of all things football stayed the course, Tommy should be sued for damages – although he did add that the first 50 years would be the toughest.
Hall of fame
As guest speakers, Johnny had invited former 11-time world champion canoeist Hank McGregor to talk about his success. Inspired by his dad, ex-Springbok Lee McGregor, Hank was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame for his achievements. Modest to a fault, Hank followed in his father’s footsteps fame-wise and has now reached the ripe old age of 40, but shows no sign of slowing down.
I’ll Walk Alone
The second guest speaker was ex-Durban star goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar, ex-Liverpool, Salisbury Callies and a string of other clubs, who used his services in an extraordinary career.
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Bruce donated several Liverpool Football Club shirts, signed pictures of himself and present-day Liverpool players. The bidding was astounding and the money raised was mind-boggling. Completely outnumbered by Scouse supporters, your scribe kept quiet for health reasons and made a quick escape before ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ was belted out.
Lifetime achievements
The real star of the occasion was our own Johnny Louch, who did the Hibiscus Coast proud when presented with his Lifetime Achievement award for outstanding charity work. Thoroughly deserved, the 850-strong capacity crowd gave Johnny a standing ovation. In these hard times, Johnny and his organisation have helped to make the world a better place. No mean feat. Anyone who can get someone to pay several thousands to buy a signed Liverpool FC football shirt, deserves a knighthood, never mind a Lifetime Achievement award. Some well-meaning piece of advice, Johnny, for future fund-raising campaigns: if you can put some Manchester City shirts and memorabilia up for auction, you’ll raise millions more. CTID (‘City, Till I Die’).
See you, Rob.
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