The Long Lunch comes to Sydney

Inspired by the successful concept instigated in New Zealand three years ago and repeated annually since, the irrepressible Ross Hannan decided to launch an Australian version, which happened on Sunday December 9th, 2018. The venue was the heritage-listed Victoria Room in the Royal Automobile Club of Sydney, the august building overlooking Circular Quay, with its high ceilings and timber panelling – a wonderful setting for an afternoon of robust discussion and living of memories. Master of Ceremonies Will Hagon did his usual stout job of controlling the flow of speeches and anecdotes, with Guest Speaker Jeremy Burgess delivering a colourful account of his decades in the Moto GP scene. The combatants of the epic 1979 Australian Unlimited Grand Prix at Bathurst – Graeme Crosby, Ron Boulden and John Woodley – recounted the elbow-to-elbow action of that 20 lap contest. The lunch was a sell out with 26 making the trip for New Zealand, and George Beale flying in especially from the UK.

ABOVE Will Hagon with the 1979 Bathurst stars Graeme Crosby, Ron Boulden and John Woodley. LEFT The heritage listed Victoria Room was a fitting setting for the Long Lunch. BELOW LEFT Former World Superbike rider Grant Hodson with Lynne Rosenthal. BELOW RIGHT Graeme Crosby with Jenny Coates, fast lady of the late ‘seventies and early ‘eighties. ABOVE Dave ‘Radar’ Cullen, Jeremy Burgess, Gary Coleman and all veterans of the European GP scene – and Chris Lewis. LEFT George Beale, who sponsored Australians Jeffrey Sayle and Graeme McGregor at the TT, made the trip from his home in England.