OUT OF THE DEPTHS

Three days after the winter solstice I was coaxed back into the surf by Richard Tognetti, the Artistic Director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, who's just moved into a new home at Manly. We met at the southern end with his partner Satu and cellist Julian and all paddled out for a sparkling session in a fat but fun five foot offshore swell. Got the stoke back big time.

Went to see Richard and Julian play the Great Romantics at Angel Place that night and it was as if the ocean's energy was still pumping through their systems. 

Richard is a buddy of Tom Carroll who turns out to be a fan of Chopin and the like. He was at the concert too fresh from surfing endless long lefts out at Newport Point that day. We chatted afterwards about the notorious "spitting the winkle" episode that he'd recently exposed in the TV series 'Bombora'. For those who don't know what it is, it's when a surfer inserts a fire hose up his anus then squirts the contents over unsuspecting passers-by. Needless to say, alcohol is involved. Tom is off the booze himself and is looking fit as Richard's fiddle (which, incidentally, is valued at around $10 million). 

Also spotted at the concert was playwright Edward Albee (who wrote that classic drunken rant 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' and 'The Goat' amongst many others), and Tim Freedman who was squiring former first lady Margaret Whitlam. Tim is a keen surfer too and is heading up to his retreat at Broken Head soon to concentrate on composing more fine music. Looking forward to hearing it!