www.ran-skilledhands.net

Oooooops.

I just sent an SMS to the boys at The Frisco, inviting them to send me a photo that I could upload to the website for them...

(I'm driving down at sparrow's fart tomorrow morning to join them.) The response I got was: "Somewhat confused here..."

Not surprising, really, Seejay sent me an SMS at 10:25 this morning, telling me he was about to imbibe his first beer...!!!

Enjoy yourselves fellas, I'll think of you while on the road to Shepparton & back tomorrow, might be able to join in next year as I will be almost old enough then and the boss might give me a leave pass.

It'll be about time, Boris, we've kept a place open for you all this time... ...and let's face it... our Rocks Runs just keep getting bigger...!

Hippy Chippy wrote:Thanks, Wayne, with all of our 'A' Team and many of our regulars tied up in reunions/ various, it was good to know the Forum was in good hands...

I'm back home in The Entrance now, so you may return to your normal duties...

Full report and photos from the 13th Annual RAN Skilled Hands Sydney Rocks Xmas Pub Crawl Smokey will be posted later today in the appropriate Topic...

...but not right now... my brain hurts...!

This year, for logistical reasons, I was restricted to only attending the main event, so I’ll have to leave it to others to detail the (by all
accounts) very successful Basin Trials at 'The Frisco' last Friday night. (I was disappointed to find out that Ken Caporn fronted the Basin
Trials, but for whatever reason couldn't put in a repeat appearance at the Rocks Run on Saturday, I'd have liked to say ‘G’day’ in person...)

In previous years, for me, attending the Annual Rocks Run was only a 10 minute bus ride from Mosman, whereas this year, I had to do what
most of our participants have always done, and book accommodation, travelling down to Sydney from the Central Coast. No big deal for me,
I found a great little boutique private B&B hotel , 'The Cremorne Point Manor', (only $104.00 per night,) then ferry it across the
harbour to meet up with the troops for breakfast at 10:00am at ‘Jackson’s on George’. This is 'The Cremorne Point Manor'...



What it did do for me was to appreciate the investment in time and money that so many attending have gone through in
past years to be part of our unique annual smokey... We must be doing something right...!!!

Those joining us this year for our traditional/ obligatory photo under the bridge, outside 'The Harbour View' Hotel (from L to R,) were:



Yours truly, Rick Pengilly: NSW CENTRAL COAST, Niel Watson: DARWIN, NT, Steve Shepherd: NSW SOUTH COAST, Viv MacLeod: PERTH, WA,
Bob King: ADELAIDE, SA, Pete Weyling: NSW NORTH COAST, Mike Moore: MELBOURNE, VIC, Sue: SYDNEY, NSW, Chris O’Keefe: CAIRNS, QLD,
Howie Henderson: NSW SOUTH COAST, Mark Mobley: SYDNEY, NSW, Verna MacKenzie: SYDNEY, NSW, Col Kelson: SYDNEY, NSW, Rhonda King:
ADELAIDE, SA, Brian MacKenzie: SYDNEY, NSW, ‘The AFP Guy': CANBERRA, ACT, Sarah King, CANBERRA, ACT. (Viv's SYDNEY based daughter,
caught up with us at 'The Orient', making it 18 all up, not bad when you consider that 6 or 7 of our 'regulars' were AWOL this year.)

It also proved that our timing was spot on in that the first of us (Seejay and I,) arrived right on schedule at 'The Lord Nelson' for lunch
at 1:00PM as planned... You could be forgiven for thinking that the ‘Navy Apprentice’ sign was put there to reserve it just for Seejay...!



I didn’t take many pics myself, mainly because so many others were busily snapping away during the day... I’ll be happy to upload
the best of them if anybody cares to e-mail them to me, or alternatively, provide links to albums, so you’ll be able to see 'em all...

That'll do me for now, I'm sure that others will be adding their observations and photos in due course as they arrive back home from what was
yet another successful Annual RAN SH Sydney Rocks Xmas Pub Crawl Smokey...

On behalf of the RAN Skilled Hands 'A' Team, I'd like to thank every one who joined us... Hope to see you all again next year...!

Another top run. Great to catch up with the reprobates again.
The look on PW's face when I produced the catheter and informed him
that we'd devised a new way to take the piss out of him was priceless.
I did notice though, that he did carry said catheter around with him for the
rest of the weekend. I think he has plans for it.
Thank god it's only once a year.

...and don't forget the miscreants, malfeasants and malcontents!

I was getting quite a complex at the Lord whatsaname pub, sitting there by myself. Luckily, the lovely Sue took pity and sat next to me.

And yes, luckily it is only once a year. Except next year there's a Tassie wedding in March, ANZAC Day in Canberra, the '65 entries reunion in September, and the November Run.

Glad you all had a great time.

We did mate, for sure. You should book in for next year, eh?

And we promise we won't drop a condom in your beer like what happened to PW.