News and Views from ROAR - June 2004

President's Report

In last month's magazine we included a flyer for the inaugural Battle of Waterloo (BOW) vehicle display, to be held on Sunday 20 June at Reconciliation Place, King Edward Terrace. For this year, at least, BOW replaces French Car Day as the major French car display in Canberra. All interested club members are encouraged to attend, and make the day a memorable one - hopefully reversing the outcome of the original battle that saw Napoleon's French army defeated by a British-led consortium, near Brussels, on 18 June 1815. The day officially starts at 10 am, but intending participants are asked to arrive at 9.30 am. Indeed, if Napoleon had begun his own BOW at 10 am, instead of midday, the 1815 result may have been quite different - that two hour delay allowed Prussian reinforcements to join with Wellington's British troops and successfully repel the French attack. 

Luke Drady, of the Renault Owners Club of Canberra, is organising the French contingent at BOW, which will face the British cars in "battle". Luke says the more flavour we can bring to the event the better - anything French or battle resplendent is welcome, apparently; so think flags, military uniforms, cannon, berets, stripy T-shirts etc. As with French Car Day, we will be judging best vehicles in various categories and there will be raffles, pentanque, and a demonstration of Citroen and Rolls Royce hydroneumatic suspension. 

Our other major mid-year club event is also approaching. The annual Bastille Day dinner will this year be held at Pialligo Estate Winery, at 7 pm on Saturday 17 July (the closest Saturday to Bastille Day). Members of the Citroen and Renault clubs have also been invited to attend. We have arranged a dinner menu with a French flavour (see calendar for details), and including Pialligo Estate wines. We may have an after-dinner speaker, French trivia quiz, prizes and more. Please ring me (0427-662112) to book a place at the dinner, by Monday 5 July. This dinner will replace our July monthly meeting at the Italo-Australian Club. 

At our May monthly meeting, a small, but enthusiastic group of members were entertained by Peter Rees, who described his 29 year investigation of the murder of Juanita Nielsen in Kings Cross in 1975. Persistence pays, it seems, as the NSW police have reopened the unsolved case on the basis of Peter's findings, detailed in his recent best-selling book "Killing Juanita". Well done Peter. And the Peugeot connection with the Juanita Nielsen case? In the course of his investigation, Peter interviewed the legendary Sydney identity, Abe Saffron, at his then office in Crown St, Sydney. Lunch was suggested. Abe said he often ate at a restaurant just up the road. The location, it turned out, was Fuel - the up-market restaurant located inside the Sydney Peugeot dealership, Peugeot on Crown. Abe might favour Rolls Royces, but at least he has good taste in restaurant locations. Note: There will be no club meeting this month. The next club night will be in August

Keep on pugging,

Brad Pillans

brad.pillans@anu.edu.au

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