Banquet to Honour Paul Griffiths

It was a helluva busy week for me, starting with Garth Jenkinson's funeral last Monday at 10.am in Brighton. Tuesday afternoon I had a PAG meeting at 3.30. I chair these meetings and report on them, this time the report will wait, maybe Monday night. I'd double booked myself Tuesday arvo, so had to reschedule my Signpost interview to 10am the next day. My computer classes resumed Wednesday evening, I arrived home about 10.00pm and did a draft of my Signpost article over a couple of cups of black coffee, finishing well after midnight.

After the PAG meeting Tuesday there was a message at the farm when I picked up Gord, to ring Linton Briggs before 4pm or in the morning. As it was 6pm already, I rang Linton Wednesday am to learn the Nth Est Vic Apiarist's Ass had a dinner to honour Paul Griffiths' 56 years continuous service on the executive of the Association from 1956 to 2012. Paul was an inauguaral member at age 18. Linton extended me an invitation to the dinner which took place last night starting at 6pm at the Gateway Motel in Wangaratta.

The weather all week was hot and dry and in between the funeral, meeting, interview and class I was busy watering and picking. I would hate every week to be so demanding, I would pull the pin pronto. But I wanted to go to the dinner, to acknowledge Paul's remarkable achievement and to see again my friends / colleagues from that period 1976 -1981 when I was employed by the Victorian Dep't of Agriculture as the Apiary inspector for northeast Vic based in Wangaratta.

I managed to get away a little after 2pm Friday after watering, picking and popping in on my writing class briefly to give teacher Maria some beans I had picked for her and pick up the week's worksheet in the hope I will have time to do the homework by the next week's class. I also needed a phone number she was going to have for me but in my haste forgot to ask her for it. Gord came with me to Wang to help with the driving as I get very sleepy at the wheel after an hour or so, and he drove from Bonnie Doon while I had a little day dreaming and shuteye.


Paul

Linton, John Mac, Laurie



Laurie



Paul and Linton

I was not late for the dinner which I enjoyed thoroughly and the camaraderie. Many of those present I had not seen for 32 years. The only regret I have is that towards the end of the evening with the guest speaker, my ex Senior Apiary inspector Laurie Braybrook now 86, having made a memorable speech, the proposer of the toast Linton Briggs now 82 likewise, and the MC John McMonigle regaling the audience with many humourous anecdotes, I did not take the floor as a few others did to say some words to express my admiration for Paul and his wonderful record. I was unprepared, very tired and a little overwhelmed by the occasion myself, meeting so many people I had not seen for so long

On the way home this troubled me a little and I mind mapped what I would have liked to have said, had I the clarity and confidence last night. I will post this first half now - I have to go and water things now - and return to edit this post this evening or tomorrow. My plan is to send my words to Linton and Paul in the hope they will have some significance for them. They would not know of my blog and probably they don't use computers.