Clancy of the Overflow

About 12 months ago my 6th great grandchild Clancy was but 12 days old and made his first trip across Melbourne to Ardoch, my home in East St. Kilda for afternoon tea.

A young Clancy being held by Zayda for the first time.

It was a very special occasion - the one and only Great Greenberg Get-together - a true gathering of the clan who`d cheerfully come to celebrate the good fortune of my then brother Joe, 82, sister Freda, 76, our younger brother Kenn, 72 and I, 87.............we lost Joe recently.

From left: Harry, Joe, Freda and Kenn.

Our good fortune was the fabulous fact that we four, fathered and mothered by Bert & Minnie Greenberg, were all alive, as well as expected for "oldies" and happy..... the idea evolved one day at one of our family lunches at the Tanti Hotel where we regularly met every 4-6 weeks, the same hotel where our Grandfather Joseph Diamond used to rest his horse and jinker on his way to his Rosebud holiday house from his home in King St. Melbourne. Invitations were duly prepared and out of a possible 71 family members, the roll-call revealed 54; the others - 6 overseas, 3 interstate, and the rest had firm prior commitments elsewhere.

When we were all assembled together I can assure you Clancy Cameron soon received the overflow of warm love and attention from all present, proudly wearing his official name-tag like everyone else - many of whom were meeting family for the first time. You'll probably realise, if Australian, as mentioned in Virgils Diary, Clancys famous name was inspired by the charismatic character in Banjo Patterson`s "Clancy of the Overflow".

We all experienced an overflow of cheery chatter in between sampling the fare of the groaning tables filled with a feast of fine food, all lovingly created by most of all present. Outstanding was the presentation of Jo`s excellent edible violin made of "hedgehog" and a photo of Grandpa Bert with fellow musicians adorned Pierrot Minstrel suits framed by white and black-dotted biscuits to match their white and black-dotted costumes, also her tiny cakes iced with "Cecil Brunner" roses in memory of Nana Min`s wedding bouquet on 21st November 1917. Coincidentally this celebration was on the 20th November and her birthday the 22nd.

Grandpa Bert`s actual violin was the centrepiece of a charming collection of artifacts and effects owned by Minnie and Bert - his gold Waltham pocket watch given him by his parents on his 21st birthday, his camera, Masonic apron, attaché case, a setting of her cutlery, sewing box, a rug, a magnificent Italian ornament - to name a few.

The perfect sunny day brought out the best of Ardoch`s Village Green with it`s lush Spring-Summer growth of excellent elms, beautiful birches, radiant roses, happy hydrangeas, gorgeous geraniums, colourful carnations & calendula, dainty daisies and lovely lobelia bordering the Green with it`s ancient Heritage-Listed creaking cottonwood over near which some of the kids` kites were flying while about a a half a dozen others furiously frolicked in the swimming pool with 2 adults.

Before parting, everyone received a leaf with their name inscribed on it in gold lettering - from a hanging tree cleverly crafted from Jo & Jim as well as a rolled scroll of the family tree - ending an unforgettable extraordinary day.........

`till next time (I'm hoping to publish Random Reflections fortnightly...)