Recollections, Half Truths and Outright Lies!

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This is an edited collection of memories collected during the 2005 footy season...

Washing up avoidance tactics

“I remember once when we were kids at Yowadda - must have been during the holidays because we were all at home instead of half of us being away at boarding school - and I think Mum must have given up on the whole idea of a washing up roster as just a bad joke and just picked whomever were standing nearby to wash, dry and put away the mountain of dishes. Anyway after a day or two of this we were getting a bit wised up to the notion that it was probably best to disappear as soon as you finished your tea. Leading from the front as the eldest, David strode purposefully way down the verandah to sit in the toilet at the end for a period of quiet contemplation until the coast was clear for a dishwashing-free re-emergence. But on opening the door there erupted a fracas of some intensity. It turned out it was already occupied. By Wendy, a bit too clever by half and who had actually blown her cover by sitting there in the dark with the light out. David, not unreasonably, thought this an odd position for her to place herself in and in drawing attention to it merely intensified the fracas further. This in turn drew the attention of Mum who dragged Wendy back to the sink and the mountain of dishes. At least I think that was the outcome, I don't recall that David was similarly summarily dealt with despite having intentions that were at least as dishonourable and at least as equally deserving of the chore of washing the dishes of nine hungry people.” … Paul

“Sprunng!!! No In fact it’s all true. I was about 11 or 12 at the time and definitely over being “one of the girls who had to do all the housework” David definitely didn’t get frog marched back to tackle those dishes but perhaps his recollection is different to mine.

I think it was our farm worker at the time, Ron Maddy or maybe Phil Cole, who was the bright spark who dreamed up the washing up roster and then conveniently left himself off it. I wonder what happened to him for his sins.” ...Wendy