RANDOM BITS

Cactus likes the Rock.

Arbitrageur is where grown ups gather.

Why is the whole town buzzing over speculation on Chris Carters spending as a Minister? Is that why Labour went soft on Heatley and Brownlie ?

And isn't Beaujolais Duck parfait the best pate in town?

And Ian Templetons wife is a beautiful lady even if he isnt a Sir.....

A FINE COMPANION

We were delighted that our occasional lunch mate and wise counsel Ian Templeton has been made a Companion. We think that Ian is a very fine companion and that it is a very well deserved honour.
Templeton has seen out a few decades in the Press Gallery and he is still considered to be one of the finest journalists ever to have plied his craft in the hallowed halls of power. His knowledge and ability to gain the trust of politicians has made him a powerful figure on The Hill.

He is a gentleman to a fault and delightfully, mischief still sparkles bright in the eyes of the most senior of press gallery journalists as he and our monthly lunch mates consider the politics of the day and yesteryear.

BY GUM

Bob from Bluff was seated with Ian Templeton, and Barry Soper at the back of the Beehive theatrette today, waiting for John Key to arrive for the post-cabinet press conference. All Southlanders. All best described as being of a mature age.

They were chatting about this, that and the other, and recalling that Jack Grimaldi was editor of the Southland Times when Soper began his journalism, and so on.

Obviously they were speaking loudly (to overcome any hard-of-hearing handicaps any of them might suffer). A bright young spark a few rows in front proclaimed to the rest of the press gallery: "It's like Last of the Summer Wine back there."

We reckon they are right -above is a pic of the stars of the show and bugger me they do bear a striking resemblance to the wise old scribes.
Norman Clegg - Barry Soper
Foggy - Ian Templeton
and Bob ( Compo ) Edlin.

Just curious though - does that make Heather Du Plessis- Allan ( Sopers youthful Squeeze) Nora Batty?