BANJO DINNER: 25 FEB 2019

MAG’s night on the Green a raging success

The Molong Advancement Group certainly moved quickly to replace the 100-Mile Dinner, which was a feature event on the Orange FOOD Week program until it was removed last year in favour of a Blayney event.

Last Saturday MAG organised a slap-up dinner at the Molong Village Green as part of the Banjo Paterson Australian Poetry Festival and it was undoubtedly a huge success.

The organization by the MAG team, led by Cr Peter Batten, was outstanding, Eugowra’s Eat Your Greens provided delicious local fare, and the entertainment by poet Marco Gliori and Cecilia Rochelli and her band, Trouble with Johnny, was absolutely first rate.

Cecilia and her troupe had many up and dancing, and Marco had the diners in stitches as he recited and told tales. He also ran a very successful trivia quiz on Banjo and a limerick competition that drew plenty of bawdy entries.

Alcoholic drinks were supplied by Twisted River, Borenore Brewhouse and Suspicious Squirrel Cider, and special mention must go to the young hospitality students from Molong Central, who did the serving and waiting.

All in all, it was a great night — and undoubtedly much more fun and involving of the local community than the 100-Mile Dinner it replaced.

And, yes, given the current stage in election cycles, it did draw plenty of interest from politicians — present, past and budding.

Well done to all concerned.

And a final tongue-in-cheek word … I still don’t think that Alf and Sharon Cantrill who run the Banjo Paterson museum at Yeoval should have been allowed in the quiz! Even though they were on my table and we won, largely as a result of their participation.